THE GOLIATHUS CHRONICLES
by Ami Quinton26
Summary: The Creeper is no more, and now plays the role of a powerful vampire hunter. He has discovered many things, love, happiness, and the promise of new life. But he will also have to face a horrible and powerful demon,and his own greatest fear. CHAP 32 IS UP! On HIATUS.
1. Chapter 1

THE GOLIATHUS CHRONICLES

_Writer's notes: I have to admit, if it wasn't for the few people who chose to review "Soulchanging", I may have never been inspired to even start this continuing trilogy. Yes, a trilogy. If all goes well, there will be a third installment to this ongoing fanfic. I have no idea where all this inspiration came from. I sure loved the movie "Jeepers Creepers" and its sequel, but I suppose I had a hard time accepting the Creeper was really evil (or at least he had a good reason for being the way he was) so I had to write a story which explains just WHY he became a ruthless killer. And then I had to give him a happier existence, with Ami, someone he could truly love. And now, he will also know the extreme joy that comes with being a parent. I hope you are all prepared for what comes next. (And a warning, this story might be a bit more gory then my last, but it IS rated mature, after all.)_

Chapter 1 : Longing  
/

The dream started out the same. A field of dried corn husks, a strange, lightning-strewn sky, and a ghostly image of Darius Jenner perched in a sitting position in a tree. Weird, a tree? Here? Obviously a lot of this was symbolic, but it sure was hard to unravel. A winged being with bluish-grey skin sat in the middle, as always. And he waited for the conversation to start. Here was where things always differed. One never knew what the boy Darius would say next. Sometimes it was good, sometimes...it was not.

_Hey. So how are things?_

The creature known as Goliathus looked over to the side and up, the pupils of his reptilian eyes widening as they became transfixed on the spirit.  
_All right. I suppose._

_Hm. Good, I guess._

_Darry?_

_What?_

_Have you visited your sister? _Why did he choose to ask him that? He almost regretted it right away.

The teen frowned but he did answer, scratching an itch or something behind his ear, even though things such as itches probably didn't even exist here at all.  
_I...I tried. But.._.

Goliathus sighed. _It was a really stupid and mean thing to ask._

_Nah, it's ok._ Darry replied, reading Goliathus' mind easily. _I mean, it's a tough question, but it's fine. Like I said, I tried, but it didn't work out too well. Most people freak when they see ghosts, ya know. And my sister was traumatized. She hasn't been the same since that fateful day. She never believed it was actually me, thought she was dreaming.  
_

The heradus sighed deeply._ I do not suppose she could ever forgive me._

_Goliathus...you just take things one step at a time. Getting your victims to forgive you, or the family of said victims...is the least of your worries. I told you, you have a seriously powerful demon still crawling around in your head somewhere...a great and terrifying opportunist that will waste no time if it finds a way again._

_Howcome I have never seen this demon?_

_Because it can take any form it wants. It's true form? Believe me, you DON'T want to see that. Anymore then I'd want a video tape of you tearing my eyes out with your bare claws. Ok?_

Goliathus felt something sink within his heart. Darry could be harsh with him, but he knew why. Even if the boy did forgive him, he still had a lot of resentment. His death was horrible. He could remember it...didn't want to...but remember the way that Darius screamed as he chose to use one sharply pointed thumb, get it under his eyeball, and...he shuddered. Stop it. Just STOP thinking about it...dammit...

_Yeah, it was pretty horrible. I'm actually glad it bothers you, though. Shows you care a little._

_I care more then a little..._

_Good. Good._ Darry actually smiled at him._ I might actually like hangin' out with you, ya know. You're kinda a nifty guy when you're not killing people and leaving blood everywhere you go._

_If you say so._

_Gee, don't be so modest_. And then, Darry looked over to his left and stared. And kept staring.

_What is it?_

_You have a visitor._ The ghost spoke softly, and kept staring into the distance.

_Not the...demon!_ Goliathus didn't feel prepared for this. He shot up to his feet, but he felt oddly heavy. And he felt something else. It wasn't possible, was it? That he felt fear? Could this be the only thing he truly feared, this demon?

_Chill out, Bat-man. It's not the demon. Go take a look._ Darry turned back and smiled, but faintly enough that it almost looked like a smirk.

He nodded, and began stepping forward slowly. What was out there? It was strange enough being here and talking to Darry, but even stranger that this was his own mental plane and it felt like he was really on some other planet...or dimension. As he looked on, it felt like he could walk for miles. It was endless, the dried corn husks...why all the corn husks?...and he kept wishing they would just clear away.

And they did. Suddenly he was on what looked like a field of sand...but it was hard like a wooden floor...this was just getting weirder by the second. When he looked back, he could still see Darry sitting up in that one big, gnarly-looking tree, but he was fading in and out like the light of a firefly. The sky was no longer a gray mass of clouds and lightning...it was clear like on a perfect Spring day and the sun was high and full. At least it seemed to be the sun...it looked more like a great, glowing jewel, and it was close.  
No heat though. He didn't feel things physically as much as he simply saw them here.

_Daddy!_ There was a sudden happiness in the air. It almost felt like when Ami saw him after a long day of him gone with his hunting...she'd be so happy to see him again. But this was one hundred times that happiness.

_Daddy!_

Goliathus looked around, his keen eyes darting back and forth, but he saw nothing. There was, however, a mirror that had appeared out of nowhere. It was a giant mirror, like some kind of gateway, and it had a border that looked like bright, blue, glowing metal. What in the world-?

_Dad...deee..._

The singing voice was so cute, so small...so full of energy. It sounded like a very young girl, perhaps no more then age three or four. He wanted to find it. He felt he really, really needed to find it.

_Who are you? **Where** are you?_ He asked, almost demanding.

_Tee hee... _The little voice sounded close, somewhere near that mirror. He walked up to the giant wall of glass and looked in, but all he saw was the same as if he had looked past the mirror. His own reflection wasn't even there...

_Daddy._

_Why are you calling me that? Do I know you?_ For certain he had never had a child, he knew this. He wondered if perhaps some poor, lost, spirit of a child...maybe one whose mother or father he killed, thought of him as its father. How sad and wrong that would be. He'd have to be sure to direct the little soul back to where it belonged...back with its family...

And then something appeared in the mirror, standing back a few yards. A tiny form, but he could have sworn he saw...

He stepped closer to the mirror. Some immense and unbearable feeling of longing grabbed his heart. It couldn't be...it just couldn't be...

_He he!_ Suddenly the little form ran up the the mirror. _Hi!_

_You...who..._ Goliathus lost all coherent thought. The child was not human, or at least did not appear so on the outside. She had dark blue skin, and her eyes were like little round sapphires...and she had wings...little wings not fully developed...but for certain there was no mistaking that's what they were...

_Daddy?_

_Yes? Yes? _ He sank to his knees slowly, clawed hands running down the glass as if trying to get through it. His heart started to pound, so many feelings rushing to his very soul.

She held up four fingers, then giggled, trying to hold up the fifth but bending it halfway. _This much time, daddy._

_Four...?_ He squinted his eyes and concentrated on that fifth little finger and what it could mean. _Four..and...a.._.ah.. that was it _...a half?_

She nodded.

_Years?_ His heart sank. That would be a long time, and very hard to wait.

_No!_ She squealed, still giggling.

There were very real tears brimming his alien eyes now. _Months?_

She smiled, showing sharp little teeth. _I will hurry for you. Help mommy._

And with that, she disappeared.

He felt it happening, felt the dream ending, and he cried out. He didn't want it to end. He wanted to stay and talk to his future child, who was there and actually talking to him before she was even born.  
But even though he begged and begged, it ended, and he awoke.

/

Ami was tossing and turning, not fully awake yet, but she was clutching her belly. And then, she was awake in an instant. Waves of nausea plagued her and she got up quickly and ran to the bathroom only seconds before losing the entire contents of her stomach, holding tightly to the porcelain throne. Breaking out into a sweat, she swore and looked at the clock hanging up on the wall near the tub. It read 6:01. She was almost never awake this early in the morning, and certainly she had never been sick like this either. In mere seconds it happened again, but there was nothing in her stomach and she only managed a few pitiful dry heaves."Shit." Food poisoning, maybe?  
At that point she heard Goliathus coming down the hallway, she knew it was him, and he stopped dead in front of the bathroom doorway.  
_Are you...ok?_  
_Not really. My stomach is very angry right now_. He came in and sat next to her. Ami didn't mind. She hardly liked being alone when she was sick, it felt kinda scary to have no one around to help you. He was quite a welcome presence, perhaps even a distraction...maybe if she didn't think about it.  
_I do not like to see you ill._  
Ami managed a weak chuckle, which only managed to make her stomach hurt more. _I don't like BEING ill. I can assure you, silly._  
He had the thought to rub her back, maybe it would help. But she only pushed him away. "Ungh, don't do that. I think if I even move I'm gonna puke again."  
He said nothing, only looked at her solemnly. And then he thought of something...about the dream...but it wasn't real, was it? He had woken up with tears in his eyes. But what said this dream wasn't just something he longed for deep in his heart? This was Ami. And Ami was sick. That was all. A thing the humans call the "stomach flu" perhaps. Nothing more.

_Whoo...okay I think it's passing a bit. Can you help me get to the bed?_  
He nodded and helped her slowly lift to her feet._  
And bring a bucket, would you?_

Goliathus stood vigil the whole morning. He ate the food that Toby brought to him as always, but Ami stayed in his bed and he wanted it that way. She eventually fell back asleep, and by the time it was high noon, she was up again...and oddly enough...feeling much better. " I could use some lunch, I actually feel hungry." She smiled at Goliathus, who returned with his famous grin, and as she got dressed he went to his easel and continued on some project he had started the night before. Ami had just finished putting on her pants when she heard someone coming in the front door past the Atrium. She hoped it wasn't Michael or somebody...that was the last thing she needed to deal with right now. But as she hurried and rounded the corner, there stood Julie, a wide smile on her face. "Hey, girl, wassup?"  
Ami smiled even wider and ran to her friend, embracing her. "You're back! I'm so glad!"  
From up on his chair, Goliathus heard the noise and came down himself. He knew who it was already, by scent alone. Julie. It made him smile, he had hoped the dark-skinned woman would be all right.  
Ami held Julie for a long time, before finally pulling back. "You had me so worried. But somehow...I knew you'd be ok."  
"I always tell you...you worry too much!" Playfully elbowing Ami, Julie walked past her and then found herself face to face with Goliathus, who stood there and looked at her warmly. She hugged him instantly, tightly. At first it surprised him, but after a few moments he returned the hug, putting his own clawed hands around her. "You saved my life. And I owe you one."  
He blinked, then looked down at the floor. "You owe me nothing. I deserve nothing. I only did what was right...for once."  
Julie shook her head. "Don't be ridiculous, pal. One good deed deserves another." She smirked. "Might seem strange, but...look what I got for you." She handed him some kind of small zippered bag made of very thick plastic. It reminded him somewhat of a body bag, he knew those. He had used them before.  
He sniffed, and it smelled wonderfully of something very edible. "Yeah, thought you'd like that." Julie smirked.  
He grinned, he could get used to this.  
Ami only laughed, it didn't matter what was in the bag...she saw the expression on his face and wished she had a camera. "Huh...bringing him little treats, eh? You're gonna spoil him, Jules."  
"That's the point. It's YOUR fault I'm getting attached to him, anyway." Julie chuckled and went right to work.  
Ami just shook her head._ She gets kidnapped by a master vampire, nearly has the life sucked out of her...then comes back and just goes back to work. That's Julie all right._ It was great to have things getting back to normal...whatever normal could possibly be in THIS place.  
Ami heard Goliathus purring slightly. He was making short work of whatever was in that bag.  
"Er...what did she bring you anyway?" She raised an eyebrow at him.  
_ Bullock hearts. Thick and chewy. Delicious._  
Why did she even ask?

/

Later that night, Ami watched as Goliathus climbed up the roof as usual and spread his magnificent wingspan, ready to fly the night skies and go on the hunt. He most certainly loved what he did, it could not be helped. He was designed to want to kill. He HAD to kill, or it would cause him to become short-tempered and anxious. But at least now...now he could do so without taking any innocent lives. Vampires were nothing but cold, evil killers, and even worse then Goliathus had once been as the infamous "Creeper". They thought of humans as nothing but living containers of blood, free for their taking. They had no mercy whatsoever, and even if they did spare someone, it was to use them, keep them as prisoners and unwilling "feeders" until their abused bodies could take no more.  
Goliathus had told Ami that they felt like some kind of negative air to him, something he needed to clear away...eliminate. And it no longer made him feel guilty or like he was doing something wrong. It was amazing that he could have even suffered so long with such feelings, just forcing them back and pretending he felt nothing all those years when humans had been his choice of menu.  
Then again, everything about him was amazing. And not just physically (though Ami smirked about that very physical and amazing part of him that could give her such pleasure), but emotionally, mentally...everything. He was so intelligent, knew so much...and at the same time he could be so naive. He had an atmosphere around him that she could hardly describe in any satisfying way.  
All she knew was that she loved him. Loved him so much...that sometimes it made her heart ache to even see him fly away. She felt like some stupid, overly-possessive, love-sick teenager sometimes. But truth be told, she really didn't care.  
_ I love you, too. Do you want me to stay? I will, if that is what you wish_. Goliathus had turned around, still clinging to the bars with his talons, and was looking at her with softened eyes. He read her mind with hardly any effort, so powerful were Ami's emotions.  
She blushed. Weren't there SOME things she could keep to herself? _Sheesh, it's like I don't have any privacy_. But she smiled at him. _No...you go, you magnificent beast. Go do your thing. I can always have you later on. You're all mine then, you got it?_  
He grinned widely and winked before taking off into the sky.  
/

Marcus Valiant had been brooding for days, so much so that even Elsie, a powerful female vampire, decided to keep her distance from him. He was sitting at a small luncheon table in the huge, old and gigantic castle, staring at nothing and clenching his hands together.  
He had lost one of his sub-clan to that wretched creature. Watched as a mighty clawed hand just punched into the chest and tore the heart out.  
Just like that. And the damned thing ATE it.  
Running both hands through his dusty-blonde hair, Marcus sighed loudly and then yelled out angrily. The entire clan would still be enjoying their luxurious lives without interruption if it had not been for those bastard Dark Mages...and their even more bastard creations. Most of them had been failed experiments, or easy to kill even if they were effective, but nothing...absolutely NOTHING had been like those blasted heradus.  
It had all started when Maniel, the most powerful and the leader of the Dark Mages, had lost his first child...a little girl...to Donovan, leader of the clan. Marcus grinned at the thought. They had actually managed to steal the whimpering little child from right under Maniel's nose. And they laughed as she screamed and writhed, with each bite she suffered. They laughed even more when Donovan finished her off, by peeling her skin off little by little.  
But when Maniel discovered what had happened, he had gone into a rage, and Marcus swore that he saw a tinge of fear in Donovan. He would never have believed it, especially now given how strong and ancient Donovan was, but there was no denying the dangerous look in that mage's eyes. Then Miles, a clever spy who had pretended to be one of the mages, told them how Annabelle, his love, had gotten pregnant again. But it was a very purposeful pregnancy...a plan. It took Maniel longer then he had expected, Miles had told them...but when the baby was already five months along Maniel finally finished some kind of strange potion. And with little hesitation, Miles had watched in disbelief as Annabelle had drunk the potion, gagging and forcing it to stay down, then screaming as her belly writhed and twisted...something was happening to that baby, and very quickly. In only one more week, Annabelle went into sudden labor. It was unlike any birthing Miles had ever witnessed...and he had seen hundreds of births in his lifetime, both human and vampire. There was lots blood, and Miles thought that for certain Annabelle would perish. Maniel was worried, but he kept circling her and uttering some kind of incantation...until finally with one last push that utilized all her strength...the thing was born.  
Grey...covered in her blood...tiny talons already there...everything.  
And the first thing it did, was cry and cry loudly...DEMANDING to be fed.  
Marcus remembered what Miles said then. That how he watched as Annabelle became like a skeleton, losing weight rapidly as the thing nursed her into practical submission. It could never eat enough, and even started nipping the breast, sucking down blood as well as her milk.  
Maniel knew he had to do something, so in order to save his love's life, he said that the baby needed to be weaned, and now. He started by taking animals, slaughtering them, and grinding up the organs into something like baby food. Annabelle's inhuman child needed no convincing to be weaned. It ate everything it was offered, in fact, it showed much more interest in the food its father brought to it. Rapidly the new human-born heradus grew, and despite everything, despite how Annabelle had many sleepless nights tending to the cursed hunger her baby suffered with, she cared for her child.  
She named him Goliathus.  
She gave him love.  
Marcus spat on the ground. Love? Who could love an ugly son-of-a-bitch like that?  
He didn't understand, but he had accepted the fact that he probably never would. Humans and their pathetic emotions. They were so weak.  
So...well...pathetic!

Marcus shot to his feet and stormed out of the room. All right, so he had lost one of his own. So what. He had lost them before. But that didn't mean he wasn't going to do anything about it.  
Goliathus would pay. Oh yes... he would.

And then he heard screams from outside the castle walls.

/

Elsie's teeth were bared and full-length, and her eyes had turned red and fierce. She looked like a black panther with a diamond collar ready to launch at her attacker at any second. Eyes glued to the sky, she kept ducking and whipping out of the way as something swoop-dived at her again and again. Marcus came bursting out of the front door, and nearly fell over as he stopped dead in his tracks.  
That thing was back already!  
"Elsie!"  
She didn't look at Marcus, but hissed loudly. And then as Goliathus came near in another swoop-dive, she spat out some kind of green and foul-smelling liquid right at his eyes.

Goliathus howled in pain. He had been blinded. Temporarily disoriented, he fell to the ground...more like slammed into it, causing a large crack to form in the stone walkway he landed upon.

"YES!" Marcus could have danced. She actually brought it down! "Elsie, you're a genius."  
The vampiress calmed down, her teeth shrinking back to normal size, but she watched the figure on the ground closely. Marcus stared, almost daring it to move.  
It did get up, finally, but its eyes were no more. It was completely blinded.  
Grinning wickedly, Marcus decided to take a chance, and he lunged. He landed on Goliathus full-force, but did not manage to knock him down.  
But without wasting any precious opportunity, Marcus took action, grew his fingernails to full length, and then plunged the now blade-like fingers into the burning holes that were once eyes.  
The heradus shrieked its strange and eerie howl, and upon hearing it, Elsie knew Marcus had hit the mark and she too lunged on their attacker. She used her own fangs and sunk them into his back as hard as she could manage.

The pain was incredible. Goliathus had to fight hard to concentrate and not lose his bearings. He could not see now, and had to rely on his other senses. Growling savagely, he swung up a taloned foot and slashed, hoping to catch something. He sure did, and it was now Marcus who howled in agony as his right side suffered four huge and gaping wounds, blood pouring out profusely. Elsie managed to pull Marcus away and avoid another slash, and the two stepped back a few yards. Still hissing, she circled Goliathus, trying to think of someway to further injure him. If they could take him down, they could get him locked up somewhere...and perhaps find a way to destroy him for good...just maybe...especially if the Shadow vampires decided to help. Even as she thought this, she knew Donovan was there already, having a meeting with their leader. If only they would come.  
Elsie grinned, seeing that Goliathus was suffering more when Marcus leapt again, and once more caught his weakened point, his eyes. He made sure to dig those claws in far and deep, and the howl that filled the air told her that the heradus certainly wasn't enjoying this.  
Marcus then blasted him with black magic. They knew it wouldn't harm him, Donovan had said so, but the force of the blast hurled the heradus through the air, causing another hard landing. They heard a crack, and this time it wasn't the ground. Did they manage to paralyze him! Oh gawd she hoped his spine was broken! He'd survive it, but he'd be unable to move!

Goliathus strained to move but he could only get his upper half to do anything. His lower half had gone numb. The fcking little blood suckers had managed to break his back. He was now experiencing being a paraplegic. Suddenly he saw Elsie going in for another attack.  
This wasn't good. He had been really careless, and it wasn't like him at all. Well...this was strangely reminding him of a time when he fought with a very determined farmer. He'd been a bit careless then, too, hadn't he? Got himself harpooned more then once, then stabbed nearly forty times near the end.

The timing could not have been worse when he felt a familiar and gentle tingle in his head. _Gollie? Are you all right? I'm having this bad feeling that something is wrong._  
The heradus managed to roll out of the way, miraculously avoiding the leap as Elsie missed and landed mere inches from him. She once again fired her nasty green liquid, and it landed on his hand, burning it to a useless stub._  
Gollie?  
_Marcus roared in triumph. He ran past Elsie and straddled Goliathus, holding him down and punching his face over and over, trying to turn it into a bloody, pulpy mass. The heradus angrily raised up his only one good hand and slashed the vampire across his face, then managed to throw him off.  
_ GOLLIE?_ He could feel it now, Ami's worry, her sadness. She was probably crying.  
_ ARE YOU ALL RIGHT?_  
Elsie, determined as ever, spat more fluid, and more of his face burned away. He was starting to black out, but it didn't last long. Ami lost her contact, but he still felt her worried and desperate emotions.  
Oh, damn. How could he have been such an idiot? He kept striking out with his hands, but with no eyes and no nose, he could hardly tell where they were. He felt them, however, felt them kicking, punching, biting...and more burning.  
And he could still hear.  
"Gettin' too old or somethin', ain't ya?" It was Marcus, reveling in his chance to mock him. Even they knew he had been a little too eager, and had made a mistake. Just big enough to cause everything to go all wrong.

But then...there was a sound that had caused the vampires to stop their attack. It grew and grew in volume.  
"What the-?"  
He could hear Marcus and Elsie stepping back rapidly.  
What was going on?  
He strained his ears. Was that...cawing?

Marcus couldn't believe his eyes. Suddenly they were there. Some one hundred or maybe even more crows coming out of nowhere, cawing racously, seeming angry and determined. Was there no end to these cursed surprises?  
The crows came down, landed on both of the fleeing vampires, covering them both, pecking and tearing with their little clawed feet. And then Elsie screamed...then gargled...made the strangest muffled sound.  
Marcus could have nearly been sick at what he saw, but being a vampire, he was not capable of vomiting. He just stared in horror as he watched a crow force its way down Elsie's mouth, even though she tried desparetely to burn it away, the green fluid seeping around the edges of her widely forced open maw. It did nothing to effect it, and the crow suceeded into worming its way down her throat, the lump slowly dissapating as it went down.  
Marcus struggled to take in breath, but he could barely recover from what he had witnessed. He still felt like vomiting. A bit of blood did manage to come up, but it was more bile then anything else. Elsie stumbled and fell, but she was wide-eyed and still conscious.

Slowly dragging himself along the ground, Goliathus followed the sound of the screeching crows, whose sound was almost deafening. He knew he had nothing to fear from them, for some odd reason, but he still wondered what was happening. He had heard the female vampire make these awful gagging noises and then a thud as she fell. Finally, he seemed to get close enough. Marcus cursed, and he heard him step back.  
"What the hell is this, heradus? One of your sick powers? WHAT ARE THEY?"  
What were they? He certainly didn't know. They sounded like normal crows...and then he heard Elsie gagging, writhing...some wet-sounding noise like tearing flesh, then all went quiet.  
Marcus made a choking sound, still swearing at what he was seeing.  
Goliathus could smell the scent of the female vampire's blood. And then he felt something near his mouth, or what was left of it anyway. Something wet and warm. A feeling told him to eat it, whatever it was. He simply accepted whatever the heck was being offered to him, and down it went. One eye reformed and partial vision returned. He saw a crow standing on his chest, and it held another eye in its beak.  
He ate that too, now blinking in utter astonishment at the bird.  
It cawed and flew back over to Elsie. On her stomach was a blood-saturated crow...standing near a gaping hole of a wound in her abdomen and preening its feathers. She barely moved, just had her head tilted skywards, her now hollow eye sockets transfixed above.  
Marcus was there, too, but he was too shocked to even bat an eyelash. And on top of that, he was surrounded by the other crows. He had his mouth tightly shut, as if they might do the same thing to him at any moment. He was actually afraid.  
Goliathus moved, hoisting himself up onto his arms and wasted no further time. He had to get himself repaired. Elsie was certainly weakened, so she would have to do. Marcus snarled at him, but there was nothing he could do now as Goliathus devoured her legs in order to get his bottom half working again. He finally stood up once more, and faced Marcus with a malicious glare.

They stood that way for several minutes. And then Marcus turned and bolted, took off as fast as he could muster. The crows just watched.  
Goliathus didn't follow him. He was weary, and things were getting so very odd that he still could not make any sense of what he was witnessing. The crows suddenly all turned their feathery heads and looked at him.  
Then they all took off to the air, and just like that, were gone.

/

Coming home, Goliathus was lost in thought. How in the world would he tell Ami what had happened? Upon landing on the roof, he found it open already. He heard Ami crying into a pillow, and it broke his heart.  
She had really been worried about him.  
_ Ami?_  
Lifting her head, her eyes widenened, and then she ran to him, grabbing and refusing to let go.  
"What happened to you! Dammit, why didn't you ANSWER ME!"  
_ I ran into a bit of trouble. But I am ok now.  
But what happened?_ Ami was looking up at him with her sad, puppy eyes.  
_ You would not believe it if I told you._

_Try me._

And so he spent the next half an hour telling her everything that happened. After he was done, Ami's expression told him she was just a little bit dumfounded.  
"Crows? A bunch of crows came and they helped you?"  
_ Not just helped...they managed to take Elsie down...like I said, before leaving I took her heart, watched her burst into flames. She was a powerful vampiress, there was no doubt in my mind. But she had never expected the crows and their gruesome attack. It is probably the only reason I was able to defeat her this easily._  
Ami was trembling a little still, but she seemed at least satisfied with the fact that he was all right._ Geez. Things are getting very weird indeed. Like the time I knew you could teleport through dimensions, but you never told me. And then like the time Darry goes and starts visiting you in your dreams. And now a bunch of seemingly bloodthirsty crows come out of nowhere and help you fight vampires. Boy, and I thought YOU were strange._ She smirked.  
_ Believe me, I thought I was strange myself.__Now I realize there are far more oddities in this world then even I._ He sighed._ But I am tired now, weary, if you would believe it. This battle has really worn me out.  
Then get some sleep, old man._  
He snorted. _I am not...an old man._  
_ So what do I call you then? An old bat? Would that be better?_ Her smirk was slowly forming into a grin.  
Another snort. Goliathus walked over to his bed and plopped down, almost instantly closing his eyes.  
_ Aw, poor tired widdle hewadus. _Ami teased, coming closer and lying beside him. _Are you sure everything is fine?  
As far as physically? Yes. Just tired._  
She sighed, and ran her hands through his long white hair. _Too tired to even let me give you another lesson in love?_  
He couldn't help but smile._ I do not know whose worse, you...or me._  
_ It's YOUR fault. You have a tongue from heaven._ She grinned almost mischievously._ Among other things._  
Goliathus growled, grabbing her into a hard kiss. _Leave me be, woman. I am VERY tired._  
She huffed and elbowed him._ Well fine. Get your beauty sleep then...old man_.  
Ami got up, giggling, and walked away before he could do anything. He grunted but there was an obvious smile on his lips. And there was something about Ami that was making him wonder. But he could hardly think about it now. Yawning, he turned around, pulling covers over him and needing desparately to sleep.  
A little while later, he was rejoined by Ami.  
She hugged him from behind.  
He loved it, the way she held him. Loved everything about her.  
But then he heard her crying again, and instantly he turned around to his other side. His expression fell, he expected to see her sad litte face. But she was still smiling.  
_ Love?_  
She spoke out loud, but her voice was low, soft.. "I don't know what made me do it. Take the test... I really don't." She whispered, stroking his face.  
_ What do you mean?_ His eyes were wide now, he hardly felt tired anymore.  
"I suppose it might explain why I've been so emotional lately...well, more then usual." He waited...looking into those beautiful blue eyes that were moist with tears.  
She didn't say anything for a few minutes, so he returned her earlier gesture and stroked her face, his clawed fingers delicately tracing the lines of her nose and mouth. And finally, Ami seemed assured enough to get it out.  
"Goliathus I... I'm pregnant."

/

End of chapter 1


	2. Chapter 2

THE GOLIATHUS CHRONICLES

Chapter 2- Memories  
/

_The woman stood at the tower's only window, gazing outside and longing to mingle with the people below. She watched in an almost jealous fashion as they milled about, buying their fruits and vegetables, bargaining for chickens, sheep, goats..._

"Mother?" _A strange being indeed was hooked up onto the wall, claws digging into tiny cracks that were barely visible to the naked eye. It simply stayed that way and looked over to the window._

"Yes, my son."

"I would like to go outside myself. I have watched the birds...they fly through the skies and I long to be like them." _The small wings upon its back flapped a few times for emphasis._

"I am sorry...you just cannot, Goliathus. The humans out there would not understand you." _She turned her head, sighing and then walking past him to her bed, where she sat. "_Your father has not even had time to...train you."

"Train me?" _The young Goliathus snorted and shook his head._ "I do not need training. I know what I am supposed to do."

_Annabelle rubbed her eyes, eyes that were tired, worn, and bloodshot. Slowly she lifted off the bed and went to her child, still clinging to the wall, and reached her arms out to him. Instantly he climbed off and into her arms, and she sank down to sit with him on the floor._

"Some humans would not understand you, Goliathus." _She said again, now speaking in a whisper and holding him tightly to her chest as she rocked back and forth._

_Comforted, the child half-closed his eyes, feeling warm and safe. He loved it here...right by his mother. Right where he belonged._

"Tell me again, mother, about the vampires. They look so much like the humans...like you. Why must I kill them?"

"Because..." _Annabelle still held him, as if she feared the world would snatch him away at any moment. She had no idea how true it would be._ "Because they are heartless, cruel, and immoral killers who destroy innocence. We humans, to a vampire, are nothing but an inferior species that only serve as sustenance to them. You must kill them, Goliathus, because it is your purpose. It is why you were born. You must stop them from continuing to slaughter the children of the village. Do not forget what I told you...they killed your little sister when she was only a small child of three years." _She shut her eyes tightly, fighting back the tears of that memory._

_Goliathus snarled, and looked up to his mother's emerald-green eyes that had become almost devoid of all hope._ "I will kill them, mother. I will. But when?"

"When the time is right. Your father will know...

He will know."

/

Goliathus was back in his old cave. Why he came here he wasn't entirely sure, but the abode was still covered in bodies, stitched up high on the walls. Not too many...for at the time Ami had come he had only just found the place and hadn't had much time to put many here. He sighed deeply and with much sadness, there were many souls...so many to give a proper burial and do what was right for them. He had to start somewhere, despite what Darius had told him. He couldn't just let it go...he felt such a need to be forgiven. And every time he thought of Annabelle...and how he betrayed her...it hurt more and more. His most recent dream had given him another memory. After so many years he had forgotten most of his memory, and he was also sure now that the demon was responsible for it. The only thing it would allow him to remember, in vivid detail, was the horror of his torture. That it kept grinding it into him without mercy. It had been what had fed his rage and want for vengeance for so very long. But it would change now. He would try his very best to change it now...now that the other memories were finally surfacing.  
Feeling overwhelmingly guilty, Goliathus decided on a blonde woman on the far wall. Her eyes were still open in the same expression of horror as the moment some seventy or more years ago when he took her life. He sank to his knees before her.  
And he prayed.  
He prayed for her forgiveness, he prayed to the family members whose lives he also destroyed indirectly...he just prayed and let his emotions flow. He felt himself collapsing, the grief becoming overwhelming, the memories of her death returning. Somehow he knew his kind had been designed to also retain information, especially visually. It was how he managed to recreate the tortures that had been done to him to his victims, down to the very last detail. The woman had suffered the horrors of having dozens of knives jabbed into her, just like those men had done to him. Every victim needed to suffer as he did before he took whatever he cared to eat from them. He had made sure of it. He had caused himself to believe that it would make the ache in his heart at what the humans did to him go away. But it never did...no matter how many died, he never could get enough.  
Blast that cursed demon...he would have been happy just knowing his twenty-three tormentors had perished. But the evil had fed off his negative emotions and caused him to become as loathsome as it was.  
He had truly become a monster.  
He still felt like a monster.  
Now completely on the ground, hunched over in despair, Goliathus cried out in his agony...his tormented soul that kept slamming him with waves of guilt. He wanted to die, for why did he deserve to live now? How had he even come to know and love that human Ami? Why was he now destined to be a father?  
Why?  
Why?  
WHY?

Again Goliathus screamed. And then he heard her voice.

_I forgive you.._. She sounded so far, distant, alone...as if he could FEEL her wandering soul. Slowly, he looked up at her lifeless, preserved body, but there was no movement or any change of expression. What was he expecting, anyhow?  
_Let me go._

Let her go. Before he even had chance to wonder how, he knew what needed to be done. Carefully scaling the high cave wall and holding a knife, he clambered up to where she was and began cutting at the stitches that held her there. He wanted to make sure none of the others fell, and as the body began to come loose, he quickly grabbed it with one arm and carried it down gently to the ground. He laid her stiff body out best he could, and took a good look once more, before grabbing a shovel that was in his cave and heading outside. There he worked tirelessly until he had dug a pit deep enough, and with amazing gentleness put her in as carefully as he could manage.  
"Thank you." He said to her, not with tears, but with a solemn reverence that was far more meaningful. And as he covered her body with shovel after shovel of dirt, her form slowly disappearing beneath the Earth, he felt as if a small weight had been lifted. Just one more tiny bit of guilt he could let go.  
And somewhere in his mind, the demon roared with rage, shrinking back further into its shadowy tendrils.  
/

The next two months passed without incident. At least none of the vampire kind. Goliathus was growling lightly in satisfaction as a painting he had been working on was almost complete. It still needed a few touches, but surely this would be the best birthday present he could ever give to Ami. The whole idea of presents didn't make much sense to him, but he certainly had a talent he could share. She came into the atrium then, coming up behind him and putting her arms around his neck, only moments before he managed to cover his easel.  
He turned around and grinned, then looked down at her belly. It was hard not to notice. In only these short two months Ami had swelled considerably. He sensed a bit of fear from her, and knew why. The both of them knew this child would not be normal in any sense of the word.  
Goliathus had already told her about the dream he had when she first revealed she was pregnant. How he was told the baby would come in only four and a half months.  
Exactly half the time of a normal pregnancy.  
"You thought of a name?" She broke the tense mood with her question.  
_Name? In truth, no._  
"I had an idea. I'll use a human name for her middle name. And then you can decide on her first." She dragged another chair next to his and sat down, putting a hand on his knee. "What do you think of that?"  
_So you have come up with one?_ His grin deepened. _Do tell._  
Ami rested her elbows on her knees and looked at the floor thoughtfully. "I thought of many, but none seemed to fit. But then this one name came to mind and it kept coming back. I really liked how it sounded, anyway."  
She met his eyes then and smiled. _Genevieve._  
Goliathus thought on it for a long moment, then seemed quite satisfied by the look in his eyes._ I like it. But you are making my end of it much harder, you know._ Ami laughed and hugged him.  
_I'm sure you'll think of something. Something special for our very special child._ She went to walk away then, but as she turned he grabbed her arm. _Ami_.  
Blue eyes became transfixed on his. _Hm?_  
_She must never know of my past. Of what I did._  
A crestfallen expression came over Ami's face and she nodded. _I'd agree. But...we'll just cross that bridge when we come to it, ok?_  
He thought a long moment. _Ok._  
Giving another brief hug, Ami then turned and left. Goliathus watched her go, and as soon as she did, he went to his roof, and headed back for the cave.  
/

Each time he arrived it was the same. Another body taken down, another prayer. Sometimes he heard nothing, no mental words to know whether or not the person forgave him, but he buried them anyway. And finally, every one was beneath the ground. The cave's walls were bare once more.  
He felt a tinge of happiness, but it was brief, short-lived. The eighteen bodies here were only a tiny fraction of those he had killed. And gawd, he didn't even want to think about how many that actually was.  
Suddenly, he felt his mind reeling. He sank to the ground to try and control the dizziness. And then he was no longer at the cave.

_Miss me?_

Goliathus looked up, and saw Darry. Once again.

_I suppose you could say I have. But what is with the spell of vertigo?_ The heradus clutched his still spinning head, trying to orient himself once more.

_Sorry about that. Comes with the territory, you could say._ Darry smiled and helped him to his clawed feet. _That was good thing you did. No...it was a **great** thing._

_It helped. A little. I had to do it._

_Yeah, very noble of you. Those eighteen souls left, see?_ Darry pointed up at the familiar lightning sky. There seemed to be a little less activity this time. _They are gone now, crossed over. It's a good start, Bat-man. Keep it up._

Goliathus nodded slowly_. Have you seen the demon?_

_I sure hope not._ Darry frowned. _If I see it here, then you're in real trouble._

_I must admit...I... _He clenched a fist tightly. _I am unsure of what I will do._

_You're afraid of it, aren't you? _Darry's mindvoice had become merely a whisper.

_I suppose I am. But only because I do not wish to take any innocent human lives anymore. I fear what would happen to Ami most of all...or the child..._

_Don't be afraid of it. Or you'll give it the advantage._

_I am trying._

_Look I told you. I'm here._

_Darry, have you ever seen a spirit here by the name of Maniel?_ He asked, changing the subject suddenly.

The boy tilted his head and raised an eyebrow. _Your father? Kinda..._

Goliathus looked up at him instantly. _You have?_

_He died before you were taken away, but he knows what happened. It may not be the best thing to try and contact him right now._

It wasn't what Goliathus had hoped to hear, but he nodded anyway. _And...Annabelle? What of her?_

Darry sighed and circled around him once before shaking his head. _It's really not my place, pal. I can't discuss these things with you. I'm just Darius Jenner. I have nothing to do with your past. My only purpose in being here is to try and help you keep that demon at bay, and it was my own choice._

_I am sorry. It is just that you seem to know so much._

_Yeah, but I told you how I came to know it. But still, even I feel a little like a snooper. Not really my business_. Darry shrugged.

_All right. Then I will bother you no more about it. I just wish I knew how to remember for myself._

_You can try that Jezelle lady. She sure knew a lot about you...somehow._

Goliathus blinked. _Jezelle? How could I possibly go to her? I would only frighten her and who knows what else..._

_Hey, it's a suggestion. Never said it would be easy. Gotta go now, G-man. But again, kudos to you and your good deed. Now go find Billy. He's pissed and wants a good explanation for why you tore him away from his family._

The name caused Goliathus' eyes to widen. Billy, the poor kid. He hadn't left much of that child left to even put him on a wall. As for the remains, he wasn't even sure where he had put them...

_Never mind. If you even just bury a shirt or something of his, it might be enough. But I am warning you, the kid is angry. And hey, before I go, I got a question for you._

Goliathus took a step closer to the ghost of Darry. _Ask anything._

_What made you refuse my sister's offer?_

The question surprised him. Wouldn't Darry know such things? Then again, as he had pondered before, what did he know about spirits, ghosts...any of it...

_I...I could never have the same hatred towards women. They had always shown kindness to me and it was ingrained in my being. I was even more merciful to any female victims, breaking their necks before I cut them open. Most of them. _He paused, knowing he had to be honest with himself._ Sometimes not, if I was in a particularly foul mood. But regardless, I liked your sister. She was tough and spunky...and towards the end, she became almost fearless and did the most noble thing ever...offered herself in order to save your life. I could not comply and kill someone like that. I did not want to take either of you, truth be told. Towards the end, that small part of me that was still good...and it was very small at the time...that part wanted to fly away and just leave you both. But I could not. I wanted new eyes...but more then that... I could never fight the hunger. It was always too strong._ Goliathus sighed and took Darry's hand, almost as if a handshake, but he ended up just staring at it.  
_I really am...sorry..._

The ghost stared back with his brown eyes, that now seemed a little more then touched. _Uhh...we went over this, remember? I forgive you, I said it more then once_. He smiled, and smiled wide_. But now I can call you a true friend, too. Can't I?_

Darry left then, zipping around Goliathus a few times as a small ball of very bright light before returning to the sky.

Leaving Goliathus there to marvel at what just happened.  
/

Donovan felt a little more then satisfied as he finally was on the way back to his castle home. After two months of grueling negotiations with the Shadow vampires, he had finally gotten them to agree to help. They had been the ones to destroy the other heradus all those years ago. And now they would be back.  
He laughed loudly, letting it resound through the air as he flew. There would be quite a price to pay for their help, but nonetheless...what could be more wonderful then seeing that Goliathus finally destroyed? Then there would be no more interruptions.

As Donovan flew on like a bullet through the air, he was not aware that hundreds of beady black eyes were watching him from the trees below...watching him and every other one of the vampires.

The Ring of Dark Fire had been told to assist **_him_**.  
The King.  
Goliathus.

Their master.

/

End Chapter 2

_Much more action in the next chapter, I promise. I needed to get more information out first. ;)_


	3. Chapter 3

THE GOLIATHUS CHRONICLES

Chapter 3- Master and Minions

/

The tall, looming trees seemed to have a life of their own as they swayed in the wind. With plenty of light cast by the full moon, Goliathus found it easy passage as he stealthily crept through the forest. He was determined to find Marcus and finish him off. And yet, try as he might to stay focused, he couldn't stop looking up at the trees. They had a funny smell to them, scents he recognized and some he did not. For a brief moment he almost thought the branches might start coming down on him, wrapping him about in their branches. With a snort the heradus quickened his pace, heading towards the castle once more. He dared not fly, lest he give away his presence too easily. It had taken a hard lesson for him to realize not to underestimate the vampires. They were more then outmatched by him, but the creatures were still cunning and full of tricks.  
The acid, for one thing...that had completely caught him off guard. Who ever heard of vampires spitting acid? He had not read about that reading the many books he went through trying to learn more about them. Eh, what difference did it make. He was a fast learner, and such a mistake would not be repeated twice.  
He traveled for some time before finally reaching the edge of the forest and seeing the back end of the castle come into view. Looking up at the huge structure, Goliathus realized how much it reminded him of his home.

So much like it, towers and all...

Eyes widening, he had the sudden thought maybe it WAS his home. But then he shook his head.

_No. It would not be possible. This is not even the right country._

_Is it?_

Dammit. Why couldn't his ever-wandering mind ever leave him alone? So was the price to pay, he supposed, for high intelligence.

The air was very clean and crisp here. He took in a long breath, taking in the scents of everything around him. Marcus' came through very faint. That could mean the vampire was not around. But there was no mistaking Donovan. He was definitely here.  
_That will do_... he grinned. Taking out the master of the clan was on the top of his "to-do" list. What would the rest of them do without their beloved leader anyway?  
Squirreling up the stony wall, Goliathus checked every window for someone's careless act of leaving one open. But he found no such carelessness. It seemed the vampires had finally all perceived him as a terrible threat. He grinned wider. He liked that idea.  
Fear was always something that jump-started his predatory instincts.

He climbed all the way to the top, peering over the ledge before hauling himself onto the roof. There were two large chimneys, easy enough for him to climb down. As he neared one, however, he noticed it had been closed off...sealed up. Goliathus chuckled and moved on.  
_Getting smart now, are they? Good. It just makes things more interesting for me._  
After a thorough search of the premises, it seemed only the front door would do. Of course it was locked tight, but by mere brute strength he knew he could take it down.

And then all of a sudden, the sky was littered with black flying dots, causing him to peer up through squinting eyes. As they got closer, Goliathus realized they were crows, easily a hundred of them. One individual who was notably larger came swooping down while the others swarmed in a great, swirling circle above his head.  
The scent he had noticed back in the forest now had a source. It was those very odd birds who had helped him before.  
Who were they anyhow?  
The large one finally came all the way down and landed...on his shoulder. It tilted its head, blinking, a head that had a small white star-shape right above its eyes.  
Upon closer inspection it seemed this was no crow, but a raven. The large thick bill and ruffle of ebony feathers around the neck was sure proof of that.  
_Well hello-  
CAWWW!_  
Startled, Goliathus stepped back, catching his balance. He then rubbed his aching temples. The bird's cry had been telepathically sent, and it was loud enough just hearing it normally.  
_Do you mind?_ Sighing, Goliathus shrugged the bird off, watching it flap to the ground. It squawked again after a few moments and flew right back up, but this time landed on his head.  
Growling slightly now, he fixed that situation by quickly raising his head crest and knocking the raven off again.  
And yet, somehow he didn't think it would be that easy.  
Sure enough, the raven, unphased, flew up again and landed once more on his shoulder. This time it clutched tightly, enough that its sharp little talons dug into his skin.  
_Caw-aww?  
Who are you? And please stop screeching into my head. You are giving me a migraine.  
Starcrow._  
Goliathus raised an eyebrow. Starcrow?  
_Is that your name? But you are not a crow.  
Starcrow. _The corvid repeated, tilting its head in the other direction like a curious cat.  
_But you are a raven.  
Starcrow.  
Raven.  
Star...CROWWWW!_  
Wincing Goliathus nearly fell again. He raised a hand to swipe at the bird, then thought better of it.  
_Fine, so your name is Starcrow. Who are all of your friends? _He pointed up to the mass of black birds above._  
Ring. Starcrow. _It seemd the bird had a very limited ability with words, but it managed well enough with simple statements.  
_A ring? A ring of what? A ring of crows? That is quite obvious to me_. He looked up again, watching the murder of birds swirl around like a nightmarish tornado.  
Starcrow cocked his head back and forth, as if thinking. _Dark._  
Goliathus tried to understand what the bird was telling him. Ring...dark...  
_Fire._ Seemingly quite happy with himself then, the raven puffed up his feathers and gave a loud squawk.  
_Ring...dark...fire.._. Wait a minute. For reasons unknown, the term "Ring" made him think of mages and their magic. They often referred to groups of minions as "Rings". That must be it. These crows must be empowered...some kind of force the mages once used. But who?  
_You are the Ring of Dark Fire then, correct?_  
_CAWW_! Once again Goliathus dealt with the insufferable insistence of this bird to squawk mentally.  
_Right. So you are Starcrow...the raven...who leads the Ring of Dark Fire. I understand now._ Still rubbing at his temples Goliathus soared down over the edge of the castle to the front door. The raven clung to its fleshy perch, so it was seemingly decided that he was going with him, like it or not.  
Surging forward the heradus met hard with the thick wood of the door, causing it to splinter and large cracks to form. He then heaved himself forward once more, and the door gave way, crashing to the ground in a very loud thud. Starcrow actually slapped him in the face with a wing, as if chiding him for the action.  
Snarling dangerously, Goliathus wondered how raven would taste. The bird quickly flew off his shoulder and perched somewhere in the rafters above, as Goliathus stepped inside and quickly scanned the area.  
_I thought so._ He grinned a rather mischievous sort of expression at the raven before continuing his search.

The castle was strangely quiet, and the only real scent he was catching onto was Donovan. But he couldn't figure out exactly where the Master vampire was. This was strange, and he didn't like it. Had they actually abandoned their home?  
Starcrow gave a loud, terrified sort of shrill, moments before the heradus felt himself being lifted up into the air by invisible hands. He couldn't move to get away, it was as if he had become paralyzed. As the pressure increased, he felt himself being grabbed on his ankles, arms, and legs. There was more then one, whoever they were. Snarling angrily Goliathus struggled to get some kind of hold on something. But he could barely move. Then a huge wave of pain came, as his right leg was torn off at the hip. The heradus roared out, more in rage then pain, for something was tearing him apart and he couldn't even see it.  
He glanced over at Starcrow.  
And the raven came, lunging off the rafter, putting its wings tight against its body, and clutching Goliathus by the neck. At first, the heradus wondered if his feathered friend had turned on him. But then suddenly he felt and saw a glow of power, shining greyish-black...a blend of their two energies. Then a blast the size of the room cascaded outward in an explosion of energy, and several figures plummeted to the ground, shrieking like banshees. Goliathus crashed to the floor, moments after the raven let go and landed next to him.  
For a while no one moved. Then one of the figures, dressed in a black cloak that seemed a living entity of its own, shot upwards toward the ceiling, hovering. Goliathus saw that the face was blanched white, with deep-set red eyes the color of blood, and a set of impossibly long and needle-like fangs.  
This was unlike any vampire he had ever seen before. It was a monstrous creature, more like some kind of ghost then anything else...and it came at him, yelling a terrible scream and with long claws to match its teeth set upon its fingers.  
Bracing himself, Goliathus hobbled on his one leg and brought his wings out in front of him like a shield.  
The vampire-thing was nearly upon him when the Ring of Dark Fire came streaming through the doorway, covering every one of the vampires, even the ones who were still knocked out on the ground.  
The piercing screams were enough to make Goliathus' ears want to bleed. He quickly covered them but kept his eyes on the event unfolding before him.  
The other four individuals starting knocking birds off left and right, but no matter how many of them went smashing into the wall, they all got right back up and persisted after the enemy. This was the time to try and take care of this new threat. Letting out his own unique yell, Goliathus spread out his head claws and lunged towards the one that only moments before was trying to attack him, using his large wingspan to give him balance. He was met by razor-thin claws slicing into his body, but nonetheless, he managed to get his hands around the vampire's neck. The ultimate surprise happened when he saw the teeth grow even longer, and suddenly they were sinking deeply into the muscles of his hands.

Howling, Goliathus tried to pull away but the two were now locked in a stale-mate.  
/

Ami sat in her favorite chair, her legs propped up, a good book in one hand, and a steaming cup of hot cocoa in the other. Ah, this was the life. Even if for only this moment, she felt like she could relax and just enjoy took a sip of the cocoa then placed it down so that she could put a hand on her belly. Immediately she could sense movement, it was amazing how active this fetus was at only two months along.  
_Well...two months and one week, to be exact. _She giggled, then reached down to kiss her belly.  
"You're going to be one special little child." Ami sighed, trying to ignore the more negative feelings that tugged at her heart. Ones of worry, fear, uncertainty.  
"My little Genevieve."  
The phone rang then, and still smiling, Ami picked it up.  
"Yeah, hello?"  
"Miss Ami Quinton?" The voice that answered had a slight southern accent.  
"Uh yeah...whose this?" Ami's expression turned into mild confusion at the unfamiliar voice.  
"Well, you've heard of me, even if you haven't seen me. I'm sure of that."  
"Uhm, ok..." Ami got out of the chair, standing up and holding the receiver a little closer to her ear. "So...who are you?"  
"I'm Jezelle...Jezelle Gay Hartman? I knew that Darius Jenner boy and his sister before that...thing... killed him. But my dreams have changed. I've got to find the Creeper."

/

Creeping around the corner, Donovan peered into the Great Hall, only to see Goliathus and one of the Shadow vampires locked in battle. The other four were being marauded by those cursed crows. He saw that the heradus had suffered the loss of a limb, and it made him smile. If the Shadows had there way, he would be nothing but mere pieces of flesh strewn everywhere. Then they would make sure he would never come back.  
It was now time for Donovan to show that damned heradus what he was made of. No one was going to come into his home, his castle...and kill his children. He had lost Trianna, he had lost Lucius...and that was going to be the last loss he would suffer.  
Nearly wild with determination, he ran forward into the fray.

Goliathus still had a grip on his opponent's neck, and he now squeezed as hard as he could. The vampire gagged, then gave a shrill shriek as bones in its neck started to give way. It had no choice but to let go and end the stale-mate, lest its head be torn off. But as soon as it let Goliathus go, it lunged for him again, and knocked him down before he could react. Using both of its wicked hands, it grabbed his left leg and attempted to tear it off just like the other one .A heradus' wing was a weapon in itself, and it was a lesson this vampire was going to learn quickly.  
With a loud and vicious snap, Goliathus let loose with both wings and they slapped with incredible force against the white face of the hideous vampire.  
For a moment, it seemed stunned, and its expression froze. Then slowly the head came apart into two halves, falling to the ground in sickening, muffled thumps. Thick red blood now oozed down the body of the decapitated vampire, and the ghostly body slowly came down to the ground, crumpling into a heap.  
For a moment, silvery eyes stared at the seemingly lifeless body, untrusting and ready for it to attack again. Instead, it was Donovan who came like a missile at him this time, forcing him down to the ground. Completely unprepared and without one leg, Goliathus went down easy and found it difficult to get himself back up again. "I'm taking no chances with you, heradus. You've made me aware of that now." Donovan hissed loudly and went for the left leg with his teeth, trying to finish what the Shadow vampire had started. Goliathus managed to get his arms around his neck to try and hold him off.  
But then the other four Shadows had finally recovered and got away from the crows, and with eerie wails they assaulted, assisting Donovan in holding the King down, even as the birds still pecked and tore at them angrily.  
Unable to fight all five of them off, Goliathus roared as he felt his other leg being torn off. He was now crippled.  
"Help me get him into the dungeon. We'll lock him up there!" The Shadows nodded and all five of them carried the struggling heradus down into the dark labyrinth below. The Ring tried to follow, but one of the Shadows staved them off with a powerful blast of some kind of wind energy, knocking them all away and into a brick wall.

/

The large and hidden underground cave was becoming filled with moonlight as the full moon hung like a soft and glowing beacon in the sky. A whole horde of bats began to stir, and with tiny yawns each spread its leathery wings, stretched out, then took off into the night to hunt for insects. One stayed behind, and swiveled its sensitive ears around, hearing something within its dank home. From below, the rocky floor just under the bat began to move and crumble. A clawed hand came up through the ground, and slowly, so did the other. The little bat craned its head around to get a better look, but still did not leave its upside-down perch.  
The ground cracked and split some more, then all fell silent for a while.  
The bat snatched at a moth that was careless enough to get within range, gobbling it down quickly.  
Suddenly the ground nearly exploded as something large was forcing its way through. Finally, the little bat was startled enough to quickly leave its post and flap away. It landed a yard or two further down the cave and clung to a small stalactite.  
A head rose from the ground now, and with both arms free, heaved its entire body out of its rocky prison.

Dinarius slowly shook his aching and throbbing head, then coughed violently, clearing eons of dust and sediment from his lungs. Weakly, he opened his dark blue eyes and looked about the cave. He saw the bat staring silently back at him.  
"Ah hello there Puvo. I see you're still around. How long has it been?" He paused for a moment. "I can't even believe I still live. Where am I?"

The little bat fluttered off his perch and landed on the tail of the one who spoke to him. He then climbed up the furry white mane until he found his usual place nestled in the crook of his neck.  
Dinarius felt the connection and he saw visions of many, many calendars flying by as his little friend communicated. He then saw a number in large and bold print.  
His jaw dropped.

It had been one thousand years.

/

End Chapter 3

_Yikes, I ran into a bit of writer's block during the fight with the Shadows. But I managed to kind of amble my way through it. I am hoping you all like where this story is going. Adding more characters makes it more fun, but more then that, Dinarius was in my original ideas anyhow. I am always trying to make my writing better and I hope it has come through that way. Many more chapters to come, stay tuned!_  
_ :smile:_


	4. Chapter 4

THE GOLIATHUS CHRONICLES

Chapter 4- Friends

_Thank you all for your continued reviews and most of all just for reading! I'm really so amazed to know that people like my ideas. I ought to stick to my own motto, "Never stop imagining."_

/

The dungeon was cold and dark, and very quiet. Goliathus sat (if you could call it that since he had no legs) propped up against a wall, oozing his dark blood from his lost limbs, and shaking with the hunger that was driving him to madness. He had simply sat there and thought for many hours on himself...how he had become entirely too confident in his old age and had a tendency to leap before he looked. Then again, he had never expected the Shadow vampires. They were new and unexpected to the extreme...and they had no scent. Evidently the vampires were not as easy as he had thought they were going to be. But he should have known that. The humans wouldn't have created his kind if it were that easy, now would they have?

Curses.

He growled under his breath and looked around his dank prison. The whole place reeked of human blood and he could even see it splattered on the old stone walls here and there. And much to his surprise, he felt sick. The smell of human blood actually caused his stomach to churn. He should be proud of that, but for the moment the feeling didn't help him feel any better about the whole situation. Food.  
He needed food.  
But where was he going to get it here?

/

Ami paced back and forth on her already well-worn carpet, waiting. A mysterious woman by the name of Jezelle had called her...a supposed psychic who had known the now infamous Jenners. She wondered just what the woman meant when she said, "My dreams have changed." Changed for the better? Or worse?  
She then heard the knocking on the door. "Miss Quinton?"  
Ami walked over quickly but pulled the door open slowly, feeling cautious for some reason and peering around. "Uh, yeah. You must be Miss Hartman?" She stared at the somewhat heavy-set black woman. There was something about her brown eyes that was strange...they seemed to draw you in. Instantly she felt that maybe this woman _did _have psychic powers.  
"I sure am, honey. Please, you have nothing to fear from me. I just want to help."  
Ami nodded and stepped back to let the woman in. Jezelle quickly made her way to the nearest chair and sat, holding her head.  
"Are you all right, Miss Hartman?"  
"Child, you just call me Jezelle. I don't like all that formal stuff."  
"You seem like you have a headache. I have some aspirin, if you want it-" Ami pointed to her bathroom.  
"Oh no, no that's fine. I always get headaches when I'm having visions." She suddenly froze then slowly turned her eyes towards Ami. It made the young girl feel uncomfortable, self-conscious. She blinked. " Is...is there something wrong?"  
"I..." Jezelle was staring at her abdomen. "I...I didn't sense that before!"  
"Sense what?" Of course, by now Ami knew what she must be realizing. "Your..." Jezelle looked like she was going pale. Ami quickly sat next to her as if ready to hold her up lest she faint. "Are you sure you're ok Jezelle?"  
"It's just that...I've been having these new dreams...different ones...about that monster. He doesn't seem the same, and yet I still have an awful sense of dread..." Jezelle met eyes with Ami and they were glassy. "...you have to know I hate this gift sometimes. I really do! I just want to be normal like everyone else, and yet day in and day out, all I get are these dreams...over and over again...of that damned creature! I don't want to have this connection to him, but for some reason I do! It's all because of this red-haired woman."  
Ami held her breath for a moment. "Red-haired woman? With green eyes?"  
"Yes...yes that's her. Name's Annabelle, from what I gathered. She doesn't talk to me much, just appears in the dreams and keeps pointing at something. Like I'm supposed to do something. And then...I saw you. Saw you in that dream and knew I had to find you. You're a very important person, Ami, but I don't know why yet."  
Unbelievable. Ami felt that maybe she should get an aspirin for herself. Now her head was starting to ache.  
"Annabelle. That's something else, Jezelle."  
"Why's that, child? You seen her in dreams, too? Obviously you know what she looks like."  
"No...it's not that really." Ami's voice was soft. "It's just that...well...she's that _monster's_ mother."  
A quiet filled the room. The woman kept staring at her. And then finally, just when Ami was feeling very uneasy again, Jezelle finally replied. "Mother? You mean to tell me that thing was born from a human?"  
"Yeah. I'm kinda surprised you didn't see that. In less then five minutes I've been convinced very strongly that you indeed ARE a psychic. And yet, you didn't make that connection."  
"Probably cause I wouldn't be able to believe it...which I don't know if I do yet..." Jezelle rubbed the left side of her head. "You know what, maybe I do need that aspirin."  
Ami nodded and got up to head to her bathroom. On the way over, she screamed out as a sharp pain spread across her belly like a wave of electricity.

"Are you all right, child?"

/

Dragging himself along the wet and dirty floor, Goliathus looked for anything edible. But there was nothing, not even a measly rat. For a few moments, it was starting to really feel like the past when he had been captured and locked in a dungeon very similar to this one. Too similar. Enough to make him feel very apprehensive. Should he expect to see men in white robes come in at any moment as well?  
He had searched the entire dungeon, but there was nothing.  
Nothing.  
Not knowing what to do, he pushed himself back up and leaned once more against the wall. He then wrapped his wings tightly around him as his hunger roiled relentlessly.  
And then it happened. It started out faint at first, but he could hear it. A voice. Somewhere in the back of his mind. A chilling, slithery, eerie voice that would instantly drive any human to fatal madness.  
_ Goliathus...hear me...your old friend._  
It was not saying anything. He was not going to listen.  
.._.I would never leave you...abandon you...starve you..._  
Snarling now, Goliathus covered his ears. Whatever good that would do.  
._..do you smell the human blood...you knew it for so long...they will put their victims down here...and then you can...  
FEAST.  
FEAST..._

_KILL..._

_EAT..._

The shriek that filled the air was Goliathus' attempt to drown out the voice in his head. But it seemed the more the fought it, the louder it got.  
_ Listen to me...old friend...I am you. Why deny yourself?_  
If there was one thing Goliathus knew for certain, it was that demons were tricky and cunning beings. And one should never, EVER listen to them. To do so meant certain chaos, and it was guaranteed. He had to fight this, to be strong and not let his own rare fear cause him to falter.  
He could not let the Creeper come back.

Unfortunately, it was going to get harder. Much harder. He heard the iron door open from up the long and spiraling stairway, and picked up on the sounds of a struggling, cursing human and Donovan who was dragging him down.  
When the Master vampire got to the bottom, he went over to the cage Goliathus was in, and laughed. "I have a little something to keep you company..." He opened the door and threw the victim in the cage with fast reflexes that only a vampire could muster. "Maybe you can tell each other bedtime stories, before you both die." Still chuckling under his breath, Donovan left it at that and made his way back up the stairs. The iron door was slammed shut and pure darkness returned.  
The wounded man smelled middle-aged, and he had injuries on his neck and arms. He was absolutely terrified, but nonetheless, was keeping a brave resolve about him. He had probably faced a lot of bad things in his life, even if this one was just about as unreal as a situation could get.  
Not being able to see even less then Goliathus, the man spoke to him. "So what are you in here for?" He was trying to be vaguely humorous, though his other emotions made it hardly noticeable to the heradus.  
"I was trying to kill them, and I got a little sidetracked." Goliathus didn't even bother to try and speak telepathically to this man. Besides, it would only frighten him more.  
"Heh...well you're my kinda guy, then. I tried to kill them too...had me a wooden stake and everything...but well...whose got any defense against those mean bastards the Shadows, eh?"  
Ah. So the man was a vampire slayer of the classic kind. How fitting, really.  
"Do yourself a favor, and stay as far away from me as possible." Goliathus warned, trying desperately to ignore the hunger that was growing worse by the second. Especially now with the fresh scent of something injured.  
Rather then question it, the man smartly decided to back up and lean against the opposite wall, which was about two yards away. "You better believe I ain't going down easy. Whether it's the vamps that try to kill me...or you."  
There was nothing that could be said in reply to that. Goliathus sighed and tightened his wings further. Sometimes...truly...he wished he could go back in time...and erase his very existence.

/

Puvo flew around frantically, trying to catch as many moths and other insects as he could, stuffing them all in his cheeks. After a while he seemed satisfied enough and went back to his furry spot with his master. He then crawled around to the front of his head, offering the meal.  
"Yuck. I hate bugs, are you crazy?"  
Dismayed, Puvo lowered his ears and slowly ate the bugs himself.  
"Aw, it's all right pal. Don't take it hard or anything." He scratched the little bat's head, who responded with a series of chirps. "I'll find something...soon..." The tall and thin-framed heradus was nothing but skin and bones, accented by a thick and furry white mane going down the length of his back and all the way to the base of his whip-like tail. His sharp blue eyes were a strong contrast to the dull grey color of his skin.  
He took a long and deep breath to take in the night air, but found himself coughing violently again. A thousand years had left his lungs with about ten tons of dust to sort out. It would take a while for his breathing to recover properly.  
Slowly making his way through the cave and out into the forest, Dinarius used his keen nose to try and detect something edible. Hopefully something injured and easy to kill...he doubted he had the strength to even take down a lamb.

Many hours went by, and finally, he collapsed from mere exhaustion. After several minutes he managed to get up to a sitting position, but what little strength he had was fading fast.  
"Well Puvo, looks like I don't age very well...what do you think?" Even now Dinarius attempted to keep his sense of humor, he had always been the type to try and find the best in every situation.  
His little bat familiar flew around his head, seemingly agitated that he could not help. But then his tiny nose twitched, picking up on a scent that was not bugs. Chirping crazily, Puvo suddenly veered north and disappeared amongst the trees.  
"Huh fine. He just goes and leaves me here."  
Dinarius decided to try and get to his taloned feet once more, and finally did manage to stand, but wavered. He grabbed a branch and tried to steady himself. _Why am I even awake, anyhow?_ He thought, trying to remember what happened to him last. Right now his mental file cabinet was nothing but a mess of memories strewn everywhere...he could hardly make sense of any of them. Puvo had stuck in his mind somehow, but then again, who could forget Puvo?

As if in response to that thought, the little bat returned at that moment. In his mouth was a small chunk of meat. Dinarius took it and sniffed, recognizing it as deer.  
"Where did you get this?"  
With another series of chirps, Puvo signaled that he should follow. "You bet. Just lead the way."  
The two went on for what seemed like miles, at least to a very weak and frail heradus. Then, at last, near a stream bed, he saw the carcass of the young buck. It had only recently died, the scent was very fresh and made his mouth water.  
Nearly falling onto the animal, Dinarius began to stuff himself.

/

Snapping out of a nightmarish dream, Goliathus looked around and saw that the prison was real, he had not imagined it. So which was the worse nightmare...his dream, or this place?  
The sound of the man's steady breathing told the winged creature that his prison mate was asleep. He wouldn't bother him, but instead would concentrate on pretending he wasn't there.  
Unfortunately, the demon wasn't going to have any of that.  
Goliathus felt something utterly cold and foreign grab him from what felt like around his neck...not like hands but rather like an invading thing you wouldn't want there, as if a parasite or a disease. He saw visions of the most horrid thing you could imagine, but mercifully this part was brief. A foul odor stung at his nose, but it was familiar. He knew this odor...it had never really interfered with this ability to smell other things...just was always there and keeping a sickish feeling in the back of his mind.  
Oh gawd. The demon was trying to control him again. To wrap its shadowy tendrils of evil around his mental plane and send him back to his life as a psychopathic killer.  
_ No...I am friend...a friend who is always here for you._  
He wanted to gag. How dare the foul thing keep talking to him in its loathsome voice. He screamed out, startling the injured man and waking him up.  
"What the hell was that?" Evidently the vampire's victim had still not realized he was in a cell with some kind of inhuman being.  
What would he say to him? For the time being, he was afraid to do anything, even move. Concentrating hard, he tried to block out the demon.  
And then...he remembered that boy...

_DARRY!_

There was a swirling mass of light in his mind, and suddenly Goliathus realized that he felt normal again. As far as he could feel like anything normal, anyhow. The demon had retreated, but it was very close by.  
Very close.

_Thank you...Darry..._

How many times was that gold-hearted teenager going to save his ass? There would never be enough words to give him enough gratitude. He was starting to feel very affectionate towards him, wasn't he? Like some kind of son?  
No...more like a true friend. Goliathus, the King of heradus...with a true friend?  
It seemed unreal, but he would accept it. Because deep down inside, he wanted to. He wanted to be accepted himself, to have people care about him...and of course, to be loved...maybe if he could stop his self-loathing for one damned second...he could see how others could be perceived as friends as well.  
Like even the man across from him, smelling of fear and uncertainty.  
"Are you all right?" He croaked out, his voice worse then it usually was.  
It took some time, but he finally responded. "Yeah...yeah I guess so. Wish I had some water though, I'm thirsty enough to drink from a toilet, for gawd's sake!"  
Thirsty. Goliathus was thirsty too, but he needed meat more then he needed water.  
"I do not believe they are going to bring you any water...or food."  
"Apparently not. So by the way, what's your name? I'm Trevor."  
"Just call me...Goliath."  
"Goliath, eh? Some kind of nickname?" He chuckled. "Must be a huge fella. So then, Goliath...you're in the same business as me, huh? Slaying vampires and all."  
"You could say that."  
"Well I'll tell you what. If one of them does come down here and is foolish enough to get close to those bars...I'll be waiting. And I'll tear out its gawd-damned heart with my bare hands if I have to."  
Heh. How interesting...if only the man knew that Goliathus really could do that.

But as time went on, it seemed no one was going to be coming down those stairs any time soon.

/

Helping Ami up to her feet, Jezelle supported her as she lead her to the couch. "Everything ok?"  
"Yeah..." Ami sighed. "The pain's gone. I've been getting those here and there."  
Jezelle looked at her intently. "It's like I was going to say before, I didn't sense that earlier...until I saw it, your belly. You have something not human in your womb, child."  
Silence. Ami merely stared at the floor. Sooner or later she knew that someone would find out about her relationship with Goliathus, but she didn't quite want it to be in this fashion.  
"I'd ask you how, but...if that thing...well.._.raped_ you..."  
Looking up, Ami met eyes with the psychic woman, feeling almost insulted by her remark.  
"No, it's not like that."  
Jezelle's eyes widened. "Now what are you talkin' about?"  
Sighing, Ami took one of Jezelle's hands in her own.  
"Ok, let me start from the beginning. Of how I met Goliathus and how I...changed him."

/

With his stomach finally full, Dinarius found his strength rapidly returning. His flesh filled out, his wings went from dried and caked to their full twelve-foot length, and his mane even seemed whiter, fluffier. Puvo was certainly happy about it, and after a few crazed circles in the air, exuding the energy that only a bat could express, he found his way back to his spot nestled in the back of the heradus' neck.  
"Well..." Dinarus took a mighty stretch, letting joints snap back into place and rotating his shoulders a few times. "I think it's time to try and fly. This walking business is awfully slow-going anyway."  
He stretched his wings once more, then flapped them furiously. Becoming airborne rather quickly, Dinarius found it be easier then he had thought...even after all this time such instincts were too well ingrained. Grinning, he went high up as he could manage, then dove down until he could soar above the tops of the trees.  
It was so invigorating, so wonderful up here. Nothing beat flying.  
He saw an image of Puvo behind him in his mind, the little bat agreeing whole-heartedly.  
Looking around for a moment and hovering in the air, Dinarius wondered where he would go.  
Well duh, obviously he should go and continue the hunt for vampires. What else was he made for?  
He decided to head south, where the scent of something vaguely familiar caught his nose.  
As he flew on, he noticed something odd below. The trees were covered in so many crows that they looked almost black. For a moment, he actually thought very little of it. Then it hit him like a ton of bricks.  
"The Ring of Black Fire? Puvo! Is that what I'm seeing?"  
The bat responded by letting out a shrill chirp.  
"My gawd. It is them. That means..." His blue eyes widened into saucers. "The King heradus. He lives!"  
/

End Chapter 4


	5. Chapter 5

THE GOLIATHUS CHRONICLES

Chapter 5- Surprise and Rescue

/

Jezelle Hartman was rather in shock over what she had just heard. The story Ami had told her was nothing short of miraculous...and well, to be frank, bizarre. Who would ever believe that one single human could stop a terrifying killer that had gone on in his hard-set ways for a thousand years? Especially a being like the Creeper...but the evidence was right before the psychic's eyes...the baby creature that was growing in the woman's womb...

"How far along are you?" Jezelle asked quietly, looking a bit pale and with sweat beads on her forehead. Ami smiled faintly...it was obvious she was happy about the child, even if everything seemed against her otherwise. "Well she's almost three months along now."The old woman might have stopped breathing entirely...she certainly held her breath long enough before responding. "Three months? And you're already as big as a house?"  
Ami chuckled, a bit startled by her bluntness. "Uhm...yes. That's right. Goliathus was told the child would be born in only four and a half. But I already knew the pregnancy would be unusual. Trust me...I doubted myself, several times, that it was even real."  
The way the psychic shook her head almost seemed to be that of pity. "Four and a half months...child you ever wonder if by having this baby, you could die?"  
Whatever smile had formed on Ami's face, it quickly faded. She looked as if she might just get up and slap Jezelle hard, but instead she clenched a fist and stared at the ground. "You never learned anything about tact, did you?"  
"I'm sorry, honey...but I'm just trying to be realistic. I can be harsh sometimes, I know that...but I say it like I see it. I don't know for sure if you'd die, but it seems a likely chance...I'd say the human body is not meant to harbor such... creatures." For once, she didn't use the word monster.  
"Yeah just like I wasn't meant to get pregnant, either. Look Goliathus and I have a connection...we love on a level that others can only dream about...and this child is something that was meant to be. I believe in things like destiny...and I believe she'll have an important purpose...even if her only purpose ends up being to keep her father happy. He needs that happiness...I know he does...he's got a fragile mind and it's going to take a lot of nurturing to keep it from shattering once more." Ami got up from the couch and put one hand gently on her belly. "All I know for sure is that I'm going to love this child. I know it's not going to be easy...I have no idea how I'm going to keep her secret...but I'll give her everything I can."  
Jezelle slowly stood up and put a hand on her shoulder.  
"You're right...you are. And I know you mean every word that you say...child...but...I still got an awful sense about things...I just hope it has nothing to do with you and that baby." Jezelle wrung her hands nervously and paced a few times back and forth.  
Sighing Ami ran a hand through her hair and sat back down. "Look it's getting late. Maybe you can come back tomorrow and tell me more about this. I'm really tired."  
The old woman nodded and made for the door, but she still seemed lost in thought, even as she walked out...without another word.  
/

_Hungry._  
Goliathus was pretty much sounding pathetic...the ol' trick had worked before when he was in the Atrium...he could make a subtle mental demand for food and get it. But here he had no such luck...and even though he knew this to be true, he kept pleading.  
If he didn't eat soon...he wasn't sure what he was going to do.  
There was an injured human with him in the prison. Only hours ago, the scent of human blood was making him ill, but now, it was actually starting to smell a bit more appetizing. His groans must have stirred his cellmate, because in the next moment he heard his voice ringing in his ears, bringing him back to some kind of reality. "You must be in awful pain."  
The man's sympathy was kind of strange. Goliathus had never known any man to be sympathetic towards him. In fact, what he had really expected was for him to start laughing and mock him for his suffering. He coughed to clear his throat. "I am." The simple answer was all he felt like saying. There was some kind of worry that if he kept talking to the man it just might make things worse. Besides he really hated talking.  
"Yeah well...I am, too. These bites on my neck are burning like a bitch..." There was a pause. "Hey you know...I figure if we work together...we can get out of this hell hole. I can barely see you, but you do look like you got some muscle on ya...and I think if you could stand up and go towards that small barred window up there...maybe-"  
"I have no legs." Goliathus' eyes narrowed as even he had to squint to see the human in the almost complete darkness.  
"You...what...?" Trevor certainly hadn't expected that answer, and his sharp intake of breath proved it. "My gawd...how are you still alive then? You would've bled to death!"  
"I would have...had I been human." Eh what the hell. He was in quite a predicament anyway, and he was starting to care less and less if the man found out about him. So let him have it now.  
"Shit. You're trying to tell me you're one of those vampires? From an opposing clan, maybe?"  
"No, I told you. I hunt them. Just like you." Goliathus' wheezed out the last words, his voice was getting worse.  
Trevor fell silent. Goliathus could smell his increased fear, but it was mixed with confusion. He tried to pick up on the man's thoughts, but for some reason he could not.  
Sighing the heradus gave up for the time being and tried to go back into meditation...to concentrate on something other then this wretched dungeon and the tempting human. Oh how he longed for some fresh meat...dripping with blood...warm...anything to stop the aching in his stomach.

_CAWWWWWWWWWWW!_

Clutching his head, Goliathus roared out at the loud intrusion into his mind. That damned bird! He was going to pluck out each and every one of its feathers!  
_Starcrow. Food.  
_Growling low, Goliathus shuffled his way over to where the small barred window was and looked up. Sure enough, the raven was there, peering in on the other side.  
_Food is it? You? Are you going to sacrifice yourself?_ He attempted to grab him, halfheartedly.  
The raven squawked and there was a flurry of black feathers as it flapped its wings madly.  
_Eat Starcrow! No! No!_  
The heradus snickered, and tried to get himself closer to the bars by heaving himself up and onto his bloody stumps. It was painful, but it worked for the time being. He was high enough to be almost eye-level with the bars.  
_Food. Bring. Food._  
The raven dropped something through the bars. Goliathus immediately looked down and saw that it was a half-eaten rabbit.  
He didn't really care...if it had been squished roadkill he still would have eaten it. He picked it up and swallowed it in three bites, fur and all.  
_More_. It was a definite demand. Starcrow obviously did not appreciate it, and the corvid gave another loud mental squawk, causing Goliathus to snarl angrily, before flying off in search of more food.

Slowly positioning himself back to a sitting position, he knew there was only waiting now. There was nothing else that could be done.  
/

The night sky gave way to a large silhouette on the horizon...gliding on a massive wingspan and swaying back and forth, as if surveying.  
Indeed, that was what Dinarius was doing, as he looked for his one and only purpose. Yet despite the scent he had picked up on, the crows had diverted his attention and he wondered where the King could possibly be.  
"The Ring of Black Fire, can you imagine that Puvo?"  
The small bat with an almost identical mane of fur chirped a few times. Dinarius saw the word "DARK" appear in his mind.  
"Oh...that's right. The Ring of "_Dark_" Fire. Well give me a break, I've been buried in stone for a thousand years. My memory's a bit jumbled, ok?"  
He could have swore Puvo was chuckling, but maybe it was just his imagination.  
"Black fire, Dark fire...what's the difference? All the same to me."  
Suddenly a raven went whipping by Dinarius' head, causing him to swoop down instinctively, and almost crash. Managing to steady himself, he turned direction and chased after it.  
"Starcrow! Is that you? What kind of way is that to treat an old friend anyway?"  
The raven did an amazing full pivot and faced the heradus.  
_Dinar! Dinar!_  
"It's Dinar 'ius'. " He sighed, but grinning.  
_Dinar! Master! Trouble. Find food._  
"You never could get the name right, could you? So, he truly is alive then...the King. Where is your master, Starcrow? What kind of trouble is he in?"  
_Castle. Shadows. Roy...Roy._  
"Roy? Whose Roy?"  
Frustrated, the raven landed on Dinarius' head and gripped hard enough that his claws sunk in.  
"Ow! Will you cut that out?" With a swipe of bigger claws, the bird was hurtled through the air but righted himself rather quickly.  
_Roy...al! Royal!_  
"Ohh...Royal...as in the clan of vampires known as Royals. Hmm...let's see...their leader would be...Donovan Williams, if I remember correctly." Suddenly, he snarled, as more memories flooded in at the surfacing of the name. "The bastard that would skin children alive..."  
Puvo shrilled a loud chirp in his own anger.  
_Skin! Bad! Starcrow...feed...master. Go. Find! _The raven then turned and flew on in a hurry. Dinarius decided the best thing to do would be to help, and bring food in order to aide his leader. They would sure have a lot to catch up on...hell, he hadn't even MET the King, only heard endless tales about him from the mages. Whereas Dinarius had been created mainly from bats, they told him that the King was human-born, and some kind of "super" heradus. It was amazing when he had heard about just how powerful he was. But there was no time to reflect on it, the present moment called for fast action.  
If the King was in trouble, he was going to help!  
/

Trevor had remained silent the entire time. He had heard the bird come, heard something be dropped...and heard noises he really wished he hadn't as Goliathus had obviously eaten whatever it was. His eyes had adjusted enough to the low light that he could see something, but not enough to really know what he was looking at.  
However, he knew it was something that could potentially kill him. "You'd better explain about who and what you are." Hoping to get answers, Trevor tried his hardest to keep a confident tone in his voice.  
Goliathus snorted at the command, but he complied. "I am Goliathus...and a heradus. I am designed a vampire killer." He contemplated telling the man that he had once been a human killer, but decided otherwise. What would be the purpose anyhow?  
"A heradus? What the hell is that? I've never heard of it."  
"It matters not. But you must stay away from me. I am a being of extreme hunger, and you are smelling tastier by the second."  
Inside, Goliathus was struggling wildly. Even with the raven bringing him the rabbit, he could barely contain the incredible urge that was relentlessly grabbing him. Huh...if his creators had only known that this hunger was one of the main reasons he had gone insane in the first place. Why he had become so obsessed with eating that he couldn't stop himself. As the Creeper, he would kill and eat for his twenty-three days even when his stomach was nearly bursting. He would feel hungry even when he really wasn't. That was obviously the work of the demon, but it had only increased an already blatantly obvious weakness.  
Trevor slowly moved a few feet further away, towards the large metal door of the prison. "I get it." Was all he said.  
Good. The man wasn't going to give any problems. It would at least help him, for now. But if that pesky raven didn't come back soon...

/

Alone now in her apartment, Ami yawned with a full stretch and headed for her bathroom. She grabbed her well-worn purple toothbrush and set to work getting her teeth clean. As she stared in the mirror, she caught a glimpse of something behind her. It was faint, but most certainly there. Almost like a shadow.  
Turning around, she saw nothing, just the wall with its flower patterns. Same old, same old... she sighed and shook her head. Life had been a bit crazy lately, and she had to remember to not let the stress get to her. Otherwise, she could start losing grip with reality again...a problem she had as a child but managed to overcome in adulthood.  
Somewhat, anyway.  
As Ami bent over to spit out the toothpaste, she heard a small crash in the kitchen, as if a bowl or cup had fallen off the counter and shattered.  
_Must be those damned feral cats again...always coming in through my window and getting into my food._  
Setting her toothbrush down Ami headed out of the bathroom and went to her kitchen. Sure enough there was a broken glass on the floor.  
But no cats.  
The window wasn't even open this time.  
For a moment, Ami could not decide how to feel. _Goliathus, is that you?_  
Where was he, anyway? She hadn't seen him in a while. Sure he went out for days sometimes on his hunts, but it had been a bit longer then she would have was a whoosh of cold wind behind her. She whirled, but again her eyes saw nothing unusual._  
Crap...what, do I have ghosts now?_  
Then it all happened at once, and very fast. There was a whirlwind of cold and black around her, a shrieking sound like that of a banshee, and she was gone.

/

Starcrow hurried back to the castle, struggling to stay aloft with the large muskrat he had grasped in his feet. Surely, the master would be pleased with this fat rodent...it was the largest thing he could manage to find. Though ravens would gladly eat carrion, he knew he could not get such food for the heradus. Fresh was best...but where was the gratitude for all his hard work? A bit sadly, Starcrow noted in his amazingly intelligent bird-brain that his master had seemed to forget about him entirely. They hadn't known each other long, but it had been he who chose crows for his familiars.  
And the raven to lead them.  
He pulled forward faster, his beak open as he panted with effort.

Hanging behind him in the not too far distance was Dinarius, and in his talons he had much better fare. With his strength regained he had been able to hunt quite easily, and had simply located a herd of deer up in the mountains. He took down the biggest and healthiest looking buck he could manage.  
He might have overestimated how blasted heavy the thing could be though. Despite his high level of strength, he too struggled with the catch as he flew on. Puvo tried to help by clinging to the nose of the animal and flapping with all his might, but Dinarius just sighed with a shake of the head and a wry grin. Couldn't' beat the little fella, though. He'd give his right wing to help out, if that's what it took, and his loyalty was more then admirable.  
"Just keep it up, old friend. We're almost there...I hope." He raised an eyebrow towards Starcrow, who cawed but did not turn around.  
_Close! Close by._  
"Good. Because I think if I have to lug this thing one more mile, I'm going to collapse."

After only a few more minutes, however, the castle finally came into view. Dinarius recognized it immediately...Maniel's old home. It made him furious to know the vampires had taken it over all these years. He sighed, thinking about his own Master...that amazing genius of a mage who had done the unthinkable and managed to create a race powerful enough to destroy vampires.  
Something to make THEM afraid for a change.  
He missed him. Missed him terribly.  
And the closer he got, the more enraged he got.  
He had to let go, and screamed out.

/

The howling and eerie call echoed through the night air, and into the prison below the castle. Goliathus snapped his eyes open at the sound. What was that? It sounded much like him...  
"Geez. All the creatures of the night must be out tonight." Trevor was still keeping his distance, but his demeanor had calmed quite considerably.  
Creatures indeed. Was it one of those Shadows again? Looking over towards the barred-window, it seemed that Starcrow was suddenly there.  
_Food_. He squawked rather softly. The bird was panting and its heart was going a mile a minute.  
Goliathus dragged himself over amazingly fast for someone who was a torso with arms. He looked up with widened eyes at the raven, waiting for him to drop it.  
Starcrow struggled to force the animal through the bars. There was crunching and squishing sounds as he broke parts of the prey, but finally he managed to shove it through. It was grabbed before it landed, and gone in less time then that.  
_Is that all?_ Despite his terrible hunger, he asked the question much less harshly.  
_All. All from Starcrow. Deer!_  
_Deer? Where?_ Goliathus was drooling. He thought he could smell the venison. Or was it just his hunger making him hallucinate?  
There was a large thud as something landed by the window, completely blocking it out. Then another noise as something else came down...but he heard the whoosh of settling wings and some kind of strange chirp.  
What was going on out there?  
"Oh thank the heavens I could finally drop that thing!" The exasperated voice was more then surprising to Goliathus. Who was out there?  
"Starcrow, get your feathery butt out of the way. I've got work to do."  
Squawking at the comment, the raven puffed out, indignant, before slowly moving away.  
Whatever was blocking the window was shoved aside, and a small amount of light provided by the half-moon gave Goliathus enough vision to see that there was something MUCH like him out there. He was stunned enough to freeze in his spot, barely breathing.  
Clawed hands wrapped around the bars, and with a great grunting effort, the window gave way, bringing crumbling pieces of brick with it and a wave of dust that caused Starcrow to sneeze...as well as Puvo.  
There was a hole large enough to climb through now, but Goliathus had not enough strength...or height...to go through it. Trevor, however, saw a chance for escape and he darted over to the hole, jumping up and making his way through before anyone could even react.  
"Holy hell..." Once through, he stopped dead in his tracks as he came face to face with eyes that were impossibly blue...and set upon a face unlike anything he had ever seen before.  
"Now that's no way to talk to me. Who are you?" Dinarius sniffed at the human just to be sure. Nope, not a vampire.  
"I'm uh...uh..." Trevor glanced at the bat with its quivering nose set upon the creature's shoulder, and at the raven perched very close to his feet.  
"Uh..name's Trevor...is that your friend down there?" He looked over his shoulder.  
Dinarius got down and peered inside. He took a deep breath, but there was only the odor of old human blood and sweat.  
"If you're talking about another like me, then yes." He crawled in and jumped down to the floor. Eyes adjusting, he saw a form huddled in a corner.  
"Is it you?"

Goliathus blinked, unable to say anything. He had never seen another like him. Not ever...heard of them maybe, but this was the biggest shock of his life. He had always thought he was alone in this big and lonely world. And now right before him was another heradus...who looked even more like a gargoyle then he did. In fact, his increased animalistic appearance made him seem strange even to himself.  
Dinarius came closer, and reached out an arm.  
After a moment of staring, Goliathus took the offered help and was picked up entirely, then carried over to the window where was he shoved through.  
Trevor took a good hard stare at the one who had been his cellmate for the last three days. The man was feeling overwhelmed, but who could blame him? Still, with much courage, he managed a smile.  
"Looks like you've got friends."  
Goliathus would've responded, but he saw that deer in the corner of his eye and turned to it with a growl. And with quite a frightening and unexpected move, clambered onto it and started shredding it apart with his teeth and hands, gulping down bloody chunks so fast that the animal seemed to be disappearing right before their very eyes.  
"Don't go near him." Dinarius warned, his face solemn. "He's in a frenzy."  
Trevor didn't dare ask any questions. He just slowly took a few steps back.  
"Starcrow, you stay here and watch the human. I'm going to find more...and fast!"  
Without futher word, Dinarius took off to the air, after one final look behind him.  
The raven looked up at Trevor.  
Trevor looked down at the raven.  
"So...howcome they call you Starcrow if you're a raven?"

/

Ami came to in a large room of marble floors and grey stone walls. Rubbing her aching head, she found warm blood and a large bump where she had been and clenching her teeth from the pain, she slowly managed to get to her feet.  
"Oh that will be far enough, Miss Ami." Looking over, Ami followed the voice and saw a man with black hair and dark brown eyes, sitting upon a throne of sorts in the center of the cavernous room and staring at her. He had a bemused sort of smile on his face.  
"Who...who are you?" Ami asked softly, still wincing at the pain and feeling dizzy.  
"Someone you're going to wish you'd never met. Tell me, little human, what kind of whore does it take to sleep with a creature like that heradus?"  
The starkness of the question caused Ami to understand that this man was a grave sort of danger. One who didn't care about her life let alone her feelings.  
She didn't answer his question, only glared at him.  
"You must be Donovan."  
"Oh...how clever. He must have told you about me." Donovan got up from his throne and with long, purposeful strides, walked up until he was inches from her face. "My little dear...what trouble you are in." His eyes widened in a sadistic fashion that sent wicked chills down her spine. "He killed two of my children you know. So I only find it fitting to kill two things that are very precious to him."  
Another wicked grin.  
"You..." He looked down. "And that baby of yours."  
Ami's heart sank, and she started to tremble. Donovan lifted her chin, forcing her to look at him. "But we'll start with the baby first, and you're going to see every moment of it!"  
Before anything could come from the young woman's mouth, she saw the ghostly white figure shrouded by eerie black folds of cloth, moving about as if serpents, coming towards her.  
Ami couldn't help but become frozen with fear, and she couldn't tear her gaze away from its blood-red eyes. The creature opened its mouth, hissing low, but it too looked utterly amused.  
"Shadow vampires are very, very good at what they do, Miss Ami. They're _experts _in torture. They know just how much one pathetic little human can take. So you better hope that Chasseur is in a merciful kind of mood today."  
Chuckling under his breath, Donovan shoved her forward and into the waiting arms of the horrid vampire.

Ami screamed.

/

End of Chapter 5


	6. Chapter 6

THE GOLIATHUS CHRONICLES

Chapter Six- Abhoritions

/

A faint sound like that of a scream caused Goliathus to pause in his feeding frenzy. He literally stopped, frozen, blood dripping down the corners of his mouth and from his claws. Even as Dinarius returned and dropped another deer next to the other one, he still did not move. Starcrow tilted his head far down.  
_Goli? Goli?_  
The bird obviously had trouble with "ius" sounds, and so only spoke the syllables it could manage. But the black bird seemed concerned and stared with unblinking eyes at its master."What's wrong? Let me guess..." Dinarius got a mischievous look in his eye. "Indigestion, right? Serves you right for gulping your food down like that...I mean geez I've gotten some major hunger pangs in my life, too, but the way you eat is _unreal_!"  
The larger heradus paid no attention, his eyes transfixed to the ground, slightly narrowed and intent. Trevor had been keeping a far distance, but the human suddenly stepped forward...with much care...and studied his former cellmate for a while.  
"I think he heard something. Seems to me your friend has got some incredible senses. I'd gather he'd need them...for dealing with the likes of those blood-suckers."  
Dinarius looked back towards Goliathus but frowned. "I heard nothing...unusual." The little furry bat crept round his neck and chirped at Trevor as if to second his statement.  
"Well I guess we're going to have to wait until he says some-"  
_Ami...Ami? Something is wrong!_  
Goliathus shot to his feet, completely ignoring his hunger now. He sniffed the air desperately, but grew quickly frustrated as it seemed he could not pick up on what he was looking for. "Ami? Whose Ami?"  
_My._.. Goliathus did not turn but kept staring ahead. He walked a few paces forward, using all senses intently. _...mate...love. You will help, Dinarius?  
"_Uhh...sure. But two questions...one, you have a MATE? And two...do you remember me? I don't recall telling you my name."  
_Your bat told me_. He finally turned around and had a surprisingly worried look in his fierce eyes. _And yes, I do, but the memories are vague. But since you are here, perhaps you will help me find her._  
Dinarius shook his head in disbelief. "A female heradus? I never heard of such a thing...when did Maniel manage that?"  
_She is human. No heradus_. Goliathus cracked a grin but it was short-lived, he was far too worried. Even though at the present moment he was liking Dinarius. He felt quite sure that this one could be trusted.  
Trusted like a brother.  
The smaller, more slender of the two burst out laughing. Trevor just shook his head in disbelief.  
"A human mate? Ha ha! That's funny. Really it is." Dinarius patted him on the shoulder. "You're funny, you know that? I like you already. Scary son of a bitch...but you're a hoot." Goliathus snorted. _I do not kid you. And **why**...would you call my mother a **bitch**?_ A snarl sent Dinarius' smile in complete reverse.  
He shook his head with a sigh. "It was a...figure of speech, as humans call it. I meant no real insult to your mother. I would never say anything of the sort about Annabelle. It's just that...I can't believe what you're telling me. I mean...just about every human _fears_ us. We haven't gotten well acquainted and it was never Maniel's intention. We were a secret weapon."  
With wide eyes Goliathus regarded him curiously. _You know about Annabelle?_  
"Well of course I do. I knew her before you were even born. I used to guard Mia for her and..." Dinarius stopped, his face crestfallen. He seemed unable to finish.  
Puvo chirped, and Goliathus looked to him. There was much respectful silence before the King heradus spoke up once more. _I see. You guarded the child of Maniel which the vampires managed to kill._ He snarled again. _I would never kill children. That I could never do...none as young as that anyhow._  
Dinarius suddenly stared at Goliathus with an incredulous look that caught his attention immediately. "What...did you say?"  
Goliathus thought on it. And then he realized the impact of what he had said to one who knew nothing of his past. He frowned, suddenly troubled and also agitated that he was locked in conversation when he had a sinking feeling about Ami. He didn't want to deal with this now. But if he wanted the other heradus' help, he was going to have to.  
Even though the chances of a friendship might come crumbling down.  
_I said that I never killed small children._  
"Yes, I understand that part. But..that implies that you HAVE killed humans, and I'm almost afraid to ask."  
_I have...yes..I have._  
**"Why?"**  
Goliathus knew the demanded and stern question had to be answered.  
_It was...a dark time. Very dark...and an age I have yet to completely conquer._  
"WHAT are you talking about?"_  
You know not of any of it?_  
"How would I? Whatever this "it" is. I've been asleep in a stone grave for over...well probably a thousand years, as Puvo has told me. The last thing I remember was the great conflict before the vampires left the village...where most of the more primitive heradus were destroyed and only I remained. Well, and then you, of course."  
_Then you would not know...but why have you slept for so long? My hibernation was a curse...I slept for twenty three years and was only allowed twenty three days to be awake...because of the first humans I had killed._  
"What twenty three humans?" Dinarius still stared at him in utter disbelief.  
_The ones who tortured me...I must go and find Ami...now. I need your help._  
Dinarius shook his head as if trying to clear it. "You're going to have a lot of explaining to do. But yes, fine...I'll help you find the human. Where?"  
_I am not sure...but I believe we must head north._  
"Lead the way."  
"Wait a minute!" Trevor came closer to them. "What about me? I can help too, ya know. Give me a wooden stake and I can take out vampires left and right." He smirked. "That and some beer to get me in the mood, works every time."  
An unimpressed snort aimed in his direction caused Trevor to once again take a few steps back.  
_We need no help from a...man._ The last word might as well have been poison on the tongue.  
"Well...I may not agree with my... _comrade_ here...but it is a bit dangerous. Perhaps it's better you go back to your village." Dinarius said."Village?" Trevor raised an eyebrow, then chuckled. "You mean city. But I've got no real home until I've made sure it's safe from the likes of Donovan and his clan. I'm tellin' ya, I can be of use!"  
"All right, then, if you insist."  
_I will NOT carry him._  
Starcrow stirred and flew up to his master's shoulder. _Hate man, hate man!  
_"What's WITH you?" Dinarius sighed and nodded to Trevor. "I'll carry you, but you're not going to like the way we fly. Hope you've got a strong stomach."  
"After what I just saw today? Him? You? The bat, that raven? The thing with the deer?" Trevor looked around then nodded with his arms folded. "I can handle it, I assure you."

/

The screams were loud and sharp, enough so that Chasseur, despite his own shrill voice, had to cover his ears. But he only grinned the next moment, changing the leather straps around and tightening them. It was so fun to use the humans' own primitive torture devices on them. They were really quite brilliant creatures when it came to pain anyhow. The things they could come up with were pure genius. The woman lay strapped to this one, a device they simply called the "Rack". All you had to do was tighten the straps and pull. And watch as skin started to stretch and stretch...until finally skin started to separate and joints began to crack.  
The screams increased in volume. The woman was covered with sweat and her body was shaking. _Pity I would have to stop now. I was just starting to have fun._  
But he needed her alive for now, and besides, the baby was to die first. Hm, now how to get it out of her without killing her? There were so many ways...even spells...but which would be most painful and still allow her to see her child die by his hands?  
Hmm...so many choices.  
"Chasseur, do you have the baby yet?" It was Donovan, come from the shadows, eying the whole scene before him with suspicion. "I do want you to have fun, my dear friend...but I WANT the child." He slowly curled his lips into an evil grin. "Do let me savor its blood and hear its wails before it should perish."  
"You play with dangerousss circumssstancesss, Donovan. I would, as any self-ressspecting Ssshadow vampire do as you requessst. I only wonder what would happen once the child and itsss mother are dead. Would not the King heradusss ssssurely have his revenge?"  
"Do you think I fear him, Chasseur? I am quite prepared should the heradus return here. But he is not likely to find us anytime soon. No one knows about this place except for Marcus...and of course you. Now, the child!"  
"I can ussse a ssspell, and bring the child forth now. But are you ssssure you want it done thisss way?" With a truly wicked grin the Shadow vampire ran a hand over her belly and then tightened the straps further. Ami's screams were expected and he seemed intoxicated by them.  
"Yes. I am quite sure. " Donovan came over and leaned close to Ami's trembling face. "Your little one will suffer more pain then you."  
It was whispered, but it caused fresh tears to stream down her cheeks.

Donovan spun around and left then, leaving Chasseur to work his magic. He would be back later, to have his fun.

/

Wings snapping threw the air, Goliathus made haste in his direction, trying to pick up the very faint scent-trail. Dinarius was not far behind, and beyond farther still, a swarm of crows followed the raven. Trevor clung with all his might to Dinarius, but was finding it increasingly hard to stay focused, as he was dizzy from all the swaying back and forth and the quick rises and falls in their flight.  
"You're right. Maybe I should have taken some Dramamine before take-off."  
Dinarius chuckled. "Maybe you should just close your eyes."  
"Hey, I didn't say I was chicken. I ain't afraid of heights!"  
"Mm hm. I bet you aren't."  
_I can sense her pain...something is very wrong_. Goliathus' worried and soft-spoken mental statement caused the others to fall quiet. Dinarius especially was surprised. _He must really care about her..._  
_Of course I do. If one loved you as much, it would be the same._  
_Uh well yeah_... Dinarius cleared his throat even though he had switched to telepathic means._ But I've been alone my whole existence...it just amazes me that a human would accept one of us._  
_You have no idea.._. Goliathus looked deep in thought then. _To be accepted is one thing, to be forgiven another. But love...that is a whole other level of acceptance that even I cannot understand._ He paused for a while. _She is not like other humans. She is different._  
_Different as compared to what? _Dinarius shrugged a wingtip. _Sweet like Annabelle, perhaps? Granted, even I know a lot of humans' shallow and naive attitudes are something to be desired. But there are many who ARE kind._  
Goliathus quickened his pace further still, catching a slightly stronger scent. _I will tell you the story then, of how we met. But in doing so I must first explain more of my past._

And so, as they flew on, Goliathus told the story.  
And with each sentence he spoke, Dinarius grew more and more disturbed by what he was hearing.

/

Jezelle paced back and forth on her already well worn blue carpet. The nightmare had been so real, so vivid...like all her other dreams. This one meant something, something bad...like the time she had dreamt of the boy screaming in the dark, and just had to find him, try to help...sitting down suddenly, Jezelle wiped a bit of sweat from her brow and tried to calm herself. Ami was such a nice, sweet, and more then caring person...and even if Jezelle didn't understand the whole issue with the baby yet...didn't like it...she still couldn't imagine the child being harmed either. It wasn't right...it would stir such anger in that creature...maybe even make him kill again? "Oh no...no no...I have to help that child, I have to..." Jezelle got back to her feet, pacing again while she wrung her hands, trying to think of something. And then it hit her.  
"Telepathic...he's telepathic...maybe...just maybe he can hear me?"  
Setting to work quickly, Jezelle went around her small house gathering candles. She placed them on the floor in the circle then sat within. With many years of practice, she then went into meditation and concentrated.  
As hard as she could.

/

The screams that had resounded throughout the hidden room intensified as Chasseur began chanting his spell, circling Ami as he hovered a few inches above the floor. At one point she even begged him to stop, but with a malicious heart he only grinned, laughing at her. Blood started to seep from between her legs, and Ami tried frantically to will it all to stop. The baby was everything...she meant so much to not only Ami but Goliathus. Surely to bring it to the world now would mean instant death? Goliathus had said in the dream the child told him four and a half months...it was only three...another surge of pain caused her to scream out again, but her voice was growing hoarse.  
_Genevieve...baby..**fight it**! You can't come now..._  
More sadness then anything plagued Ami's already shattering heart, but she mentally cursed herself for being so weak. And yet, the abuse her body had already suffered didn't allow her the energy to do anything against Chasseur. He was far too strong.  
"Ah, not much longer now, little wimpling. Your child will be mine sssooon!"  
_Please, someone! Help me! Goliathus?_ Ami tossed her body back and forth, trying in vain to free herself from the straps._ Goliathus? HELP ME!_

/

**_AMI!_** Goliathus surged forward, hearing the cries in the back of his mind, and left Dinarius behind in an instant. Much to his bewilderment, the smaller heradus saw him disappear then. Folding into the sky as if it were a door.  
"Whoa! Don't tell me he just teleported!"  
Trevor had seen the whole thing himself. "He literally disappeared into thin air!"  
"Amazing..." Dinarius mused, but shook his head to snap himself out of it. "I've got to find out where he went."  
"Not that far...see ahead? He's only a dot but he's a few miles out."  
Indeed, what Trevor said was true. Apparently Goliathus hadn't mastered his teleportation yet, or he would have gone straight to the source of where Ami was.  
Using a snap of his tail, Dinarius increased his own speed and tried to keep up.  
The Ring of Dark Fire did not fare as well, and they fell back further and further.  
"Guess we won't be able to rely on them." Trevor said, looking back at the birds.  
"Starcrow and the others will catch up. What's more important is we get to wherever this human is. Even I am starting to sense how serious it is...even if it only matters to the King."  
"Why do you call him King, anyway? I mean I've got a lot to learn about you heradus guys..."  
"He was destined to be so, that's why. To be our leader. I was temporary as such until the time was right...but the time never came. Maniel died, Goliathus went missing, there was the war, then I don't remember anything after that."  
"Huh...strange...but it seems to me that he's had it rough. You heard that story he told." Trevor shivered, still thinking about the "Creeper".  
"Yeah...and it's forever changed my view of things. Maniel was a genius, but he may have been a bit too hasty. Or perhaps he should never have tried to make us more human-like...we've seen what's come of that now, in more horrid ways then anyone can imagine."  
Trevor nodded, but he smiled up at his new friend. "You came out all right. How is it someone with such huge talons and a set of teeth like yours can be such a nice guy anyway?" He chuckled.  
Dinarius smiled, evidently pleased the human trusted him. "Eh, I have my own story to tell. But that will have to wait, Trevor. Onward."  
Once again speed was increased with a powerful snap of his whip-like tail. It was all poor Puvo could do to hang on...using his little wings and his feet to clutch desperately to his master's long mane.

/

The blood was now dripping from down the sides of Ami's legs and onto the floor. Her belly was twisting in agonizing ways, causing her to scream again and again. Chasseur kept laughing evilly, and Ami's dying wish would have been to have enough strength to reach up and punch him squarely in the jaw."More...more..." The Shadow vampire reached out his hands as if clutching the air before him, chanting more unintelligible words, causing strange glows to form between his fingernails.  
Ami's shrill yell told the gruesome being that his spell was working, and as yet more blood started to puddle between Ami's thighs, the baby started to move down. It was forced, and so much so that Ami felt her abdomen being twisted and yanked...and a pressure as if five people were sitting down on her belly.  
As it came nearer, and she started to crown, Ami wondered why life had dealt this cruel blow to her. To both of them. If the thought of losing Goliathus himself wouldn't be bad enough, a lost child would certainly be unimaginable. Especially one so unique as the little hybrid that had been growing in her womb the past three months.  
Why? Why now did it all have to end here, and in such a terrible fashion?  
_Oh Genevieve...I can only hope and pray you have the strength to survive now._  
That was, of course, if anyone came to help them.  
If not, all was lost, including her own life. That was the stone-weighted fact that sat heavy on her despairing mind.  
_You didn't know this would happen, did you little one?_  
The tears were fought back fiercely, but Chasseur knew they were there. He used one very long and pointy fingernail to sweep one quickly just as it fell from her left eye, then brought it to his lips, tasting.  
"The tassste of fear...of pain...isss it not a grand thing, human?"  
"You...sick...fuck..." Ami gasped between labored breaths, "...you'll get...what's...coming...to YOU!"  
As she cried out the last word, her world nearly blacked out entirely as the child came forth in a surge of extreme pain.  
Chasseur was covered in a spatter of blood, and the birth was so forceful that the infant slipped off the table and fell to the floor.  
For a while, the Shadow vampire remained still, slowly wiping the blood from his face. He looked briefly at Ami, who was passed out cold, and then all his intentions focused on the floor.  
He waited. The small form did not move, but he could clearly see the signs of a heradus all over the blood-covered fetus. Small stumps on the back that would be wings, the tiniest beginnings of claws on the large feet, even the head-crest, stretched over the round cranium. It was also female, that was clearly evident.  
"A female heradusss? Ssshame...ssshe would be a true rarity if ssshe were to live..." But even then Chasseur could tell it wasn't completely inhuman...the hands looked completely normal, no claws. Her skin didn't seem to have the same hard scales, nor the bumps, ridges, and spines of that like her father.  
And it wasn't moving.  
"Pity...did it die already? Donovan would be most dissspleasssed."

The silence was then broken by the most high pitched and unearthly wail Chasseur had ever known. In an instant the eyes snapped open, blue and large, and the face scrunched into the familiar expression of a newborn. But the crying...it was deafening. It filled the room, resounded throughout the secret temple, and traveled out into the sky.  
And it reached the ears of one very angry and determined father.

/

End of Chapter Six


	7. Chapter 7

THE GOLIATHUS CHRONICLES

Chapter 7- The Terrible Truth

_I warn you now, beware the angst. But don't worry, there's always a light at the end of the tunnel..._

_There is an idea in here somewhat borrowed from redplanets, who is writing the "Crucible". (If you have not read, beware a spoiler.)_

_In one scene, Goliathus is drawing a horrible figure on his wall. It is of a multiple-headed being (seven I believe though I have made it six) that is a combination of malformed, hideous images. I told her it was much like the way I envisioned Goliathus' demon. Though I was originally going to use that of a dragon-like form, I realized this was so much better...and far more horrifying. The thing is, after all, nearly a millenia old._

/

_Daddy, when can I fly like you?_

_**I am not sure...perhaps when you are a few years older.**_

_And when...can I see you?_

_**See me? I am right here.**_

_No daddy...I don't see you...I'm cold and alone...something with a bad smell is here..._

_I only see IT daddy. IT keeps telling me to listen to it, because it IS you._

_**NO! You must never listen to it! Never!**_

_But you do!_

_**Not anymore! I do not listen to it anymore! I made a horrible mistake by ever listening to it...please...do not ever do anything it tells you.**_

_(Long pause)_

_Tell me my name, daddy. I don't have a name, and IT wants to give me one._

_**Your mother gave you a name...**_

_You know my true name, she does not. Tell me..._

_**You are...**_

_**...Navius.**_

_**/**_

The hidden temple had at last come into view. Snarling with a rage that had soared to dangerous heights, Goliathus cared not where he ended up, so long as he was inside that building. Still at full speed, he hurled himself at the nearest window...and then at the last moment swerved to hit the one below it. Thick glass and stone shattered everywhere as he plummeted through and tumbled head over heels several times before finally coming to a stop. It took a while for him to gain his senses, but once he did, he immediately found he was mere inches from a thick wooden table dripping with blood, something on the floor, and a Shadow vampire glaring down at him in utter disbelief.

"How can thisss be?" It roared, and quickly lifted high to the ceiling, floating in the air and hissing.

Goliathus wanted nothing more then to attack the foul creature and rip it to shreds, but before he could move he heard a whimpering on the floor beside him. Glancing from the corner of his eye he noticed that it was moving. And then the wails began anew.

Stunned into shock, the heradus could not move as he stared at the form. Chasseur took the opportunity and attacked, baring all claws and teeth. He narrowly missed as Goliathus found some amount of sanity and rolled quickly out of the way, closer to what lay on the floor.

The Shadow came right back around, striking with its long claws and raking a pattern of three jagged lines down Goliathus' back. The pain however seemed to have no effect in what rage had consumed him. Not even flinching, he spun around and landed a viciously hard punch to the vampire's forehead, knocking it senseless. Chasseur plunged to the floor in a heap, groaning.

For the moment, all was quiet, save for the wails that seemed to be getting weaker. Goliathus stumbled to his feet, groaning himself from legs that were still not fully healed, and he made his way over to what he now realized was an infant. He reached down, ready to pick it up, when a faint mental voice diverted his attention.

_Golia...Goliathus...is that...you?_

He walked over the table which he now saw was a torture device, and strapped to it was Ami, stripped of all clothes as well as her dignity. She was in an incredible mess, covered with blood, her hair matted, and eyes swollen from what had to be endless screaming tears.

Fighting back shock that tried to return, he quickly released her by snapping the leather straps with his claws as if they were butter. Ami looked at him through eyes barely opened, her breath coming in ragged gasps.

_Death...I have seen so many forms of death..._

_No..._

Gathering Ami in his arms he wondered what he would do. He was no healer, that was for sure. If the mages still existed, they could have perhaps done something. But now...he was helpless, for the first time in his long existence. Pitifully helpless. All he could was cradle her and let his rare tears fall, fearing and almost knowing that she would leave him for good.

_All that you have done for me...and now it has come to this?_

"You...found me..." Despite all she managed the weakest of smiles, and then her small frame went limp.

Struggling to keep himself level, which was becoming almost impossible, Goliathus immediately pressed his ear to her chest. With countless measures of relief, he found her heart was still beating. For how long he didn't know, but with her life at stake he had little time to think.

Growling he fought to sort through his mixture of emotions, there was even a small part of him that considered killing her, putting her out of her misery.

Then he screamed, enraged even further at himself for having such a thought.

His scream was matched by another, as the child on the floor wailed anew, and its body shivered from the cold marble floor.

Torn from his agony over Ami, he gently set her down back on the table then went over to the infant and finally picked it up, slowly and with the greatest care.

What he held looked like all the world a deformed and premature baby, and it was barely large enough to cover the span of his big hands. Some sort of instinct took over Goliathus, and he wrapped both of his large wings around himself and the infant, holding it close. He looked down, and found his gaze met by wide and crystal blue orbs, blinking from the tears and blood.

_Navius..._

Amazingly, she gave a tiny yawn, heaved a great sigh, then fell asleep.

In the next moment there was the sound of huge wings flapping and settling, as Dinarius and Trevor finally entered the scene, coming through the makeshift entrance Goliathus had created. The two were immediately silenced by what they saw, and Dinarius frowned, setting Trevor down and walking towards the table. The human woman had to be Ami, he knew that for certain. She looked barely alive, and all the blood everywhere was more carnage then even this heradus had seen. He then noticed the crumpled heap of a Shadow vampire on the floor, still groaning as it strained to regain its bearings.

There was no saving Chasseur.

Even Goliathus widened his eyes as the normally calm and friendly Dinarius suddenly leapt high and landed down on the vampire, sinking teeth and claws into wherever they would go. Chasseur awoke from his stupor and yelled out, trying to turn and fight, but he found himself pinned down and at a serious disadvantage. He tried to use magic, but at that very moment a bat came around and landed squarely on the back of his neck, biting down with its little pincer teeth.

Chasseur screamed loud, feeling immense power flow from him. Curses! In one fell moment a _bat_ had drained him of so much energy!

"Good job, Puvo..." Dinarius snarled before raising a foot and slicing upon the vampire's chest, tearing through bone and tissue to find the heart.

Screeching, Chasseur struggled to utilize what inner strength remained, and managed to gain just enough magic to create a small fire spell, immersing the bat with an odd orange glow. Puvo gave a long and shrill chirp before sliding off the Shadow's neck and falling to the floor, his fur singed and smoking.

Just as quickly as it was lost, the magic was regained, and despite the massive injuries the Shadow vampire rose up and hissed defiantly before aiming a blast of sickly green energy in Dinarius' direction.

Much to his dismay, however, it glanced off harmlessly.

"What isss this?"

"You fool. Do you not know that we are immune to the magic of vampires?" Dinarius was just about ready to take another leap to finish Chasseur off when a wooden object suddenly burst forth from his chest and the vampire fell to the ground, silently screaming, before its body ignited into flames. There was the strange sight of the living black cloak writhing and twisting before it too turned to nothing but dust.

Once the cloud of dust and ash settled, Trevor could be seen, still holding his wooden "stake" that was actually a leg of the table.

"How...?" Dinarius raised a brow at him.

"Ya gotta be quick with these bastards...can't give them any time to think. A good vampire hunter can improvise..." He grinned. "I just moved the lady to the floor and kicked out the table's leg while you two were having your little spar."

"Well I'm sure glad we brought _you_ along. You've come in handy." He folded his arms and turned his expression sour. "Not that we NEED your help, mind you."

"Yeah..uh-huh..." Trevor smirked but it was quickly replaced by a frown. He opened up his other hand. "Your little friend here needs _your_ help. however."

Dinarius sighed and gathered up the little furry form of his friend, fur and ears singed by the fire spell. "I'm not going to chide you this time. Brave little bugger you. Hang in there."

Puvo slowly but surely ambled his way up Dinarius' arm and stopped once he reached the shoulder, slumping in complete exhaustion.

_Ami..._

Dinarius turned around to see Goliathus crouched down next to Ami's unmoving form, cradling her head with one hand and stroking her face with the other.

"Geezus...we need to get her to the hospital or something." Trevor wanted to try and help somehow, but he knew getting close to Goliathus could be dangerous. Somewhat irritated he let out a sharp breath and looked around the room.

Dinarius stared at the two of them, marveling at the love that was clearly being expressed. A human and a heradus? Such things seemed unnatural, like a tear in the fabric of reality. Yet, it was here before his very eyes. All of it, even the sad fact that the young woman stood little chance of surviving. The amount of blood she had lost was tremendous, there was evidence of it all throughout the room.

Chasseur?"

The new voice caused everyone to turn around, even Goliathus, though he still held Ami's form close to him.

"YOU!"

Donovan trembled in his fury. "How did you find us here?" His eyes then narrowed when he saw the other heradus, as if studying his features intently.

Dinarius spoke first. "Remember me? Maybe you do, maybe you don't...but I'm sure you're about to very soon."

Chuckling, Donovan nodded his head. "Sure I remember you. The so called "bodyguard" of that little whelp, Mia. It's too bad, Dinarius, that you weren't around to witness her death. I would have loved to see the look on your face."

Dinarius stepped closer, growling. "Howabout we all see the look on YOUR face when-"

"HOLD it...hold it my dear friend." Donovan held out his right arm, and revealed a black stone.

Dinarius paused, staring at it.

"I may have been unprepared for all that has happened recently...but I do learn from my mistakes." He turned slightly to look at Goliathus. "I also study and observe, watching everything. I realize now that even I have no hope of taking you down, but...I also know that everyone, even YOU Goliathus...has a weakness which will be their undoing."

The Master vampire walked slowly towards Goliathus, holding out the stone in his direction. "I bet you've never seen this before. But you will wish you never did. It has no effect on anyone or anything unless...unless they carry within them an unspeakable evil." The grin on Donovan's face had turned truly wicked. Each step he took closer caused Goliathus to feel stranger and stranger.

Then, a pressure like a horrible migraine began in his temples, and he grabbed his head with a hand and stood, struggling to keep his hold on the infant.

Dinarius looked horrified. "That isn't...you wouldn't..."

"Mess with a demon stone? Surely I would, Dinarius. I would, if it meant at last destroying this wretched creature."

"Demon stone? What the hell is that?" Trevor asked, looking pale as he noticed the expression in Goliathus' face rapidly changing.

"It's...it's...something very bad..."

Trevor was about to open his mouth again to ask why when Goliathus' screamed, stepping back again, and his whole body began to convulse. Donovan surged forward and grabbed the baby, who started wailing again.

"You see, Goliathus, yours is so strong that the effect of this stone is all it needs. You will see why you should have never dared to come to my castle and interfere..."

/

The lightning-strewn sky suddenly became dark as pitch, as the air became foul and the tree began to wilt.

_Shit! **SHIT!**_ Darry phased in and out, unable to gain enough energy as the force was sucking up everything in its path, draining all light and essence from the mental plane.

The teenage boy screamed at the top of his lungs, but the sound around him was deafening. _Fight it, Goliathus! Fight it!_

And then, much to his horror, the demon chose to manifest itself at that very moment. Long slinking tendrils burst forth from every angle, sweeping around anything and everything it could get a hold onto. Silvery black mist clouded up the air and blocked everything from sight, even the sun's rays which were now completely gone.

_You don't belong here! You DON'T! Get out of here!_

_I HAVE BEEN HERE FOR A THOUSAND YEARS, YOU WRETCHED, PATHETIC HUMAN! _A giant tendril came forth and wrapped around Darry. He phased out like a dying lightbulb.

At that very moment, Jezelle finally made her connection, appearing on the plane. Instantly however, she knew she had come upon the worst possible scenario imaginable.

_WHO ARE YOU?_

Jezelle let out a blood-curdling scream as six ugly and monstrous heads began to form within the black mist. They were the worst nightmares she had ever seen, things so horrid and terrifying that she was immediately paralyzed in pure fear. One of the heads, a misshapen and distorted image of a decayed horse peered down on her, black eyes leaking foul liquid and burning the ground into small craters. From its mouth came a horrid stench, that of death and evil, and the corners of its mouth dribbled bits of flesh and sinew.

A sickening neigh filled the air and caused Jezelle to feel as if she would wretch.

She had to get out of there. And yet, she was here to help! She had to...

Extremely fortunate for her, the demon showed little interest in the psychic and moved on.

It had bigger prey to conquer.

/

End Chapter Seven

_Much more horrors with the demon to come as the ultimate battle nears. I warn you, it could get very graphic as I try to describe the monstrosity that the being is. If you want to fathom it better, you should read "Story of Goliathus", which goes into a little more detail about all that happened to create the Creeper._


	8. Chapter 8

THE GOLIATHUS CHRONICLES

Chapter 8- The Six Levels of Fear

_And yet more angst. Disturbing images._

_Little ones need not apply._

/

The black smokey mist had choked off all light and left nothing but a grasping hook of darkness, seeking its way through everything that even moved. Goliathus' mental self was running, as far and as hard as he could, but no matter where he turned the inky-black tendrils slunk their way closer and closer. He felt so utterly alone, miserable...and scared out of his mind. Why had he been such a fool? Why had he allowed himself to grow weak and allow this foul creature so far into his very being? His eyes were closed, he didn't want to see the horror that lingered behind him as he ran hopelessly... it's nauseating stench permeating his very soul.

He actually whimpered as he felt a tendril grab him, by the ankle.

It hissed in what vaguely seemed like a chuckle, then a blinding pain hit him square in the small of his back. He felt something wet and burning slither its way up his spine, felt a pressure around his neck.

/

Donovan grinned wider as he noticed that Goliathus' eyes had grown dark, almost black. The entire group was standing and watching with mixed expressions, and for a while, it seemed everyone was in some kind of trance. Save for Donovan who merely stepped closer with the stone, which was now actually giving off a dull glow.

Goliathus struggled to say something, but when he tried only a strange gargle lingered in this throat.

"Don't bother, my dear Goliathus. You are it's puppet now. You'll only speak if it lets you." Donovan turned his expression serious. "If you hear me, demon, listen...I will do everything to help you. To give you all the victims you can handle. I know what you want...more human souls. You will have them, just allow me to pick who they are...in turn for helping you."

There was a shriek...a furious spell of convulsing. Goliathus fell to the floor and lost the battle with the malicious force in his mind in the form of black liquid seeping from his eyes and mouth.

Eventually, the air became so foul that even Donovan started to gag. A small pang of fear ate at his conscious...just what was he releasing? Was he so sure even he wanted to open the door to a force as evil as this one?

Peh, why not? He would not just get rid of all the pests he was forced to be with in this room right now, but have all the humans he himself craved...he would have the blood, then leave the rest to the possessed heradus to finish off. What could be more perfect then that?

A voice then came from Goliathus as he suddenly got to his feet, blinking through eyes of complete darkness. It was a voice that certainly could not be identified as belonging to anyone in the room.

"Goooood...tell me my first victim."

"Ah, well, take your pick. Perhaps the vampire hunter...Trevor, is it?" Donovan turned to him and flashed a grin.

"So be it." In a snarling roar Goliathus headed for Trevor, leaping high into the air. Dinarius snapped out of whatever trance he was in and reacted, grabbing Trevor and knocking him out of the way.

He himself was landed upon, and clawed hands like vices gripped his neck, choking off his air supply.

And just as fast, he was let go.

Trevor had just gathered himself up off the floor when he saw himself being charged once again. Before he could even react, he was up against the wall and sharp nails were inches form his exposed throat.

_Oh gods, I'm gonna die, aren't I?_

Goliathus shrieked again, stepping back and grabbing his head.

Trevor looked on, a sadness washing over him. He was no real friend to the heradus...and yet...the creature was fighting the thing in his head...trying hard to harm no one.

It was sad and terrifying all at the same time.

/

**_No...NO!_**

**_WHY DO YOU FIGHT ME?_**

The decayed horse head reared and neighed, flaring its nostrils in rage. Then the center head, that of a dragon-like visage with eerie eyes of mismatched proportions and cloaked in shadow, opened its maw wide and roared. Another tendril came up from its throat and lashed out, grabbing Goliathus by his neck and squeezing like a constrictor. The heradus found himself feeling as if he could not breathe, even as he clearly knew breathing was not necessary in the mental plane. This was his mind, his conscious...but slowly he was losing claim to it, all the rules were changing.

He found himself gasping, trying to suck air in.

That was the biggest mistake he had ever made.

To his horror that same tendril slightly released its grip on his neck and like a heat-sinking missile aimed for his **_own_** throat. He gagged, heaved, punched and clawed at it as it slid down, trying to resist. What in the world was it trying to do to him?

**_I AM YOUR FRIEND...GOLIATHUS...LET YOUR HUNGER RULE...CONSUME ME..._**

_Oh gawd. Oh gawd...no...**no...**_

_/_

Ami found herself feeling very tired as she traveled down a path almost blinded by bright light. Soft whispers of happiness seemed to come from this place, wherever it was...she felt so free and alive...and yet...still so sleepy...

"Ami..."

What harm was there in continuing on, and embracing this light? It felt so calm and peaceful...like an end to all troubles and woes. Yes, she certainly wanted to go there.

"Ami...please help him..."

_That voice, sounding so hopeless and full of despair...it doesn't belong here. Just let me go...to that marvelous light..._

_"Help him! **Don't let him go**!"_

_Leave me alone! I want to go there. Not back to all that pain..._

"He needs you...without you he will fail...the demon has him..."

_Demon? _ Ami stopped in her tracks, still staring at the light ahead but a crestfallen look spreading across her features. _Goliathus? My Gollie?_

"Yes...please help him...please help my son..."

Ami spun around, and a tall woman stood there, hair like waving fire and with eyes of emerald green. She wore a long, full-length gown that accented every one of her graceful curves, but the dress was torn in several places. Countless numbers of tears stained her almost perfect face.

"Help him..."

Her voice was so sad...so utterly sad...like she had lost all hope and was counting on one small yet very determined person to save the world.

To change everything.

"Ami...you are a miracle. The miracle that helped him then, and that he needs now."

_You...you're... _Ami stared deeply at the mesmerizing green orbs. _You're Annabelle..._

The woman stepped closer, and reached out a hand. Ami gazed at it for a while, hesitant, but then she took the hand, holding it tightly.

In an instant, images flashed into her mind. She heard people screaming...smelled smoke and ash...heard the agonizing wails of unmistakable pain...and she was no longer in the tunnel of light. Goliathus' story of his tortured past was flashing through her mind in more vivid detail then she would ever care to know...causing tears to instantly surface to her eyes.

It was unbearable, unthinkable. as she witnessed first-hand the man named Moren and his tiny instruments of torture poking at Goliathus' eyes, fingers...genitalia...the old and rusty metal rod jabbed down his throat, sometimes tearing through and forcing the group to cease as they stitched it back up and tried again.

The muffled and gargled screams as hot coals were put in with mud.

The knives that stabbed, twisted, and gutted...

_Stop it, Annabelle! STOP IT!_

"You must remember, Ami! You're here to help him...you can't go now...you need to make him forget all of that..." She began to fade out as Ami started to feel strangely stronger and more detached from wherever she was. "...to make him only remember you..."

/

Ami slowly awoke, blinking her eyes, sputtering and choking for air as if she had drowned.

Nobody noticed...and as she looked about she realized chaos was ruling.

Chasseur was nowhere to be found...Donovan stood and watched in glee as he held a strange black and glowing stone...Goliathus was attacking a man she had never seen before but seemed to be fighting hard against it, and...and...

_Oh my gawd! Is that another...heradus?  
_

Dinarius had no choice but to grab Goliathus and throw him clear across the room, even though it utilized a great deal of strength. He may have also been made a vampire killer, but he was nowhere the creature of raw power that the other was, and with only half the stamina. Already his heart was pounding and his hunger roiling.

_The girl, awake!_

"Huh?" Dinarius heard Puvo's words and looked around. Sure enough, he saw the wounded girl stirring. How in the world had she survived?

He went over to her quickly and picked her up. Damn, where was he going to hide her? Donovan was too entranced watching his nemesis battle with himself over Trevor, but at any moment he was sure to notice what was going on.

Ami groaned, gritting her teeth from the pain that wracked her body, but once again she opened her eyes. They widened once more as they saw the unfamiliar face.

"Hey there. Name's Dinarius...worry not lady, you have nothing to fear from me."

Ami's weariness was nearly melted away at his voice. She kept staring at him. He was so strange...looking like some kind of literal bat and human hybrid...and yet he had those eyes of painstakingly beautiful blue...a mane of thick and fluffy white fur falling like snow down the length of his back, and those teeth...so white...perfect...

_What the hell is WRONG with me? _Ami forced herself out of her thoughts and managed a weak smile.

"Well that's good to know. But can you explain what's going on?"  
" I would but...no time!" Dinarius quickly ducked as a chair was aimed in his direction. Donovan had finally caught on and had instructed Goliathus to attack.

"So the girl lives, does she? It matters little, I have her child..." He patted the head of the infant roughly cradled in the crook of his arm, and she kicked out with a tiny foot, scratching his arm and leaving little rows of blood.

"Why you little..." He threw the child across the room, who knocked against the wall with a sickening crunch, and fell to the floor. Instantly the room was filled with high-pitched wailing.

It was enough to cause Goliathus to regain one ounce of sanity. He instantly turned and and lashed out with a wing, catching Donovan by surprise and knocking him down to the ground. Another wing lashed out in a violent snap, and Donovan yelled out as his left arm was nearly severed.

"That's it, Gollie! **_Get him!_**"

Goliathus looked at Ami then, realizing she lived. .

_Ami? You are alive? _He actually smiled.

She smiled back. "Yeah...are you...all right?" She tried to get down and go to him, but Dinarius held her back.

"You're in no condition to-"

Then Goliathus screamed out again. The lights in the room dimmed and wavered. Torches blew out. The air became renewed with a horrid stench and instantly both Ami and Trevor fell sick, retching.

"Oh damn it all...Donovan you fool, what have you done?"

But Donovan did not answer. He was still on the ground, and unmoving. Slowly his body began to shrivel and to Dinarius' shock he burst into flames.

Just like that, Donovan was dead.

Dinarius knew in that instant that the demon inside Goliathus was going to be nobody's pet. It would do what it wanted.

And Goliathus was its puppet.

He had to make a decision then, a critical one. It was hard, so very hard, to leave anyone behind, especially one who had helped and certainly didn't deserve to die.

But Ami was important, he knew this. He had to save her. She looked up at him, scared and confused, wondering what was going on and why everything had turned against her.

He also felt a strange feeling he'd never felt before. He looked down to meet her eyes, and there was something in the gaze that caused Ami to look away. Then she gasped and cried out to the little form on the floor.

"My baby!"

The child! In a lightning fast move, Dinarius ran and grabbed the baby girl, even though she cried again in protest at the rough handling.

But that was all the time he had, as a wild and consumed Goliathus snarled and was fast approaching.

"I'm so sorry Trevor..." He whispered, then turned and leaped out of the window behind him, taking to the air, and flying as fast as he could.

/

End of Chapter 8

_Eh, I hope it was okay. As I've said before, I have trouble with getting my thoughts down sometimes._

_But oh the twists this story will take..._


	9. Chapter 9

THE GOLIATHUS CHRONICLES

Chapter 9- Navius

_Gore warnings and more disturbing images. Not for minors, in fact, you little buggers need to go look up the ratings and know what they mean, you don't belong here! :snicker:_

/

Dinarius was still careening through the sky, utilizing all strength and energy, and not even caring where he was going. It took some time, perhaps over one hundred miles, before he realized they weren't being followed anymore. He turned around slowly, wings furling close to his body and flapping in broad strokes to keep him hovering. His keen eyes glanced back and forth, but there was no Goliathus.

_Where did he go?_

Still feeling uneasy, Dinarius took no chances. He swept down to the forest floor below and hid among thick trees.

_Lot of good this will do me. His nose could find us anywhere._

"Is he gone?" Ami asked, her eyes still half-closed as she was still very weak.

"I guess..."

The sound of the infant crying caused Dinarius to look down at her, nestled carefully in the crook of his other arm. Amazingly, she had been quiet the entire flight, as if she knew she had to be.

But now, her crying was loud, agonizing...her breathing coming in great heaves as her little fists clenched tightly to her sides.

"Mamma, you better take care of this child. She's not happy." Dinarius set Ami down carefully. Puvo decided to keep her comforted and flew over to her, nudging himself up against her neck. Ami smiled, and rubbed him under the chin, which won her a little chirp of pleasure.

She then stared as Dinarius held the tiny infant out to her.

Ami's stare lingered, going over the blue skin, small talons on the feet, and her little innie belly button. This was her child.

_Her child._

_A baby heradus._

_A female._

And her baby, only hours old, was injured, bleeding lightly from some open wounds on her legs (probably from when Donovan threw her), had bruises in several places, and her premature body was nothing pretty to look at.

It made her want to cry. To scream out to the world how and why it could be so cruel to such a tiny thing...whether or not it was, in all frankness, a complete freak of nature...something that was not supposed to be able to happen.

Her baby...and it was a month and a half too early for this world.

Ami fought back tears and took her gently. She had no experience whatsoever with children, but there was something to be said for instinct, even to humans. Using her body warmth she tried her best to warm the infant, whose body was cold and shivering.

_I don't even have a damned blanket..._

_I could help..._

Ami looked up at Dinarius, who had mentally responded. He came close, and wrapped them both in his huge leathery wings. The heat coming from him was outstanding...but Ami knew it probably was because he had been flying so fast for so long. In mere moments, the two of them were nice and toasty.

_Just like sitting by my fireplace..._

She smiled up at Dinarius, still gazing at him, and he grinned back, leaning down to a side-sit so he could be more comfortable.

Those eyes. Oh gawds...those wonderful eyes of his were like a spell...mesmerizing...she couldn't stop staring...

"He told me you know...about the two of you...but never mentioned a child!" Dinarius paused, as if searching his memories for what he was about to say next. "I could never have children...I tried of course...but it didn't work. None of us could...I suppose the only reason it works with Goliathus is because he has a little bit of human in him."

Ami nodded, amazed by his revelations. "Not that he would ever admit to that."

"No...he probably wouldn't."

Ami sighed and leaned up against him with all her weight. She was so weary, so tired...and he was the rock she needed right now. Just a friend who could be there.

"Can you tell me more about him, Dinarius?" She gave a slight sigh as she nuzzled the baby closer. At this point, her breast became an object of pure attention as the infant latched on with great eagerness. After a while, she finally started to calm as she suckled, her eyelids growing heavy.

The whole process was a little uncomfortable, since Ami was sore all over, but she didn't care.

Motherly instincts were taking hold fast.

"You could probably tell me more about him then I could," Dinarius said, sighing. "I didn't get to know him very well."

"Other then his past...or what he told me about it...all I know is...he's not bad. Really he's not. Did you see him in there?" Ami's voice wavered, breaking. "Gawd, what happened to him?"

"The demon is what happened to him. It must have slipped its way inside his head somewhere around his early killing sprees. He told me about his past you know...I couldn't believe what I was hearing."

"He did it because they tortured him. Did he tell you what they did to him?"

Dinarius sighed again, sounding more sad. "Yeah..." He seemed to be unable to say anything further on it.

"Then you could believe it. But...it's hard to accept it, that's the thing." Ami shook herself out of the negative thoughts. "It's in the past though...it's the past...Genevieve here is proof of that." She smiled lovingly to her baby girl, cradling her, and her gaze was met by eyes that seemed more intelligent then they should be.

"Yeah...proof all right...is that what you named her?"

"Yup. But it's her middle name. Gollie has yet to tell me what her first name is. I told him he could choose it."

"An honorable thing." Dinarius moved as if trying to get comfortable again, then he sighed. "I'm absolutely starving. I want to stay here to keep the two of you warm...but a hungry heradus is a very cranky one."

Ami laughed outright. "Oh no, that's fine. You go ahead. I think we'll be okay, as long as you're quick about it. Besides..." She nudged the little bat on her shoulder, "I have your friend here to guard us."

"That's right, you do!" He got up and winked. "And Puvo there is the best guardbat ever. I guarantee it."

He gave a quick look around. "I'll be right back...I swear it." With two mighty flaps of his wings, he was in the air, and soaring over the trees, fading into the distance in what seemed like mere seconds.

In truth, Ami was a bit worried about being left alone. But she could trust Dinarius, she knew that.

Goliathus however...who knew what he would do. Would old habits come right back, now that the demon could manipulate him to its wicked desires?

_Have I lost him forever?_

Ami choked back a sob, rocking back and forth with her infant.

/

_Help me...please...help me..._

Lying on a strange stone, Goliathus found himself with chains sticking out of him from every angle. At the edges were sharp hooks, dug into his flesh, twisting their way around his legs, arms...spine...

All around him were rivers of blood. There was still the great tree, but it now had skeletal remains hanging on it, and they all leaked some kind of nasty black liquid.

The whole damned mental plane reeked of it. The demon's foul essence...

Somewhere, he knew, the demon lurked in that river of blood, wallowing in it the same way a pig rolls in the mud. The thought made him sick. He knew the blood was belonging to all of his past victims...and was growing ever wider with each life he took.

Was he still taking lives? What was his body doing?

How could he know, when he was trapped here?

Trapped with that horrid monstrosity...

That he had created.

/

The shell of Goliathus had pursued the other heradus for many miles, but then the demon had seemed to grow bored of the chase.

_FORGET HIM FOR NOW. GO KILL. BRING ME MORE SOULS._

Unable to do anything but comply, he veered off, heading in a new direction. Using his nose, he found that the scent of humans had grown enticing once more, and the air just reeked of them, everywhere.

Oh gawd. How he just wanted to kill as many as he could find, and stuff himself with their flesh. What in the world had he been doing, eating those third-rate animals?

Humans were the tastiest item on the menu. Oh yes they were. And he was ready for some real dining.

The Creeper was back.

/

Jezelle ambled among the strange, constantly shifting pathways, trying to avoid stepping into the puddles of blood that were everywhere. She was still feeling ill at the smell that thing had given off. The_ very sound _ of it had made her stomach lurch as well.

_It's so evil...so powerful. How am I gonna ever stop that thing? Geezus I'm crazy...some old fool of a black woman wandering around here...if I had any blasted sense I'd be home...having a cup of tea and watching my favorite soaps! _Jezelle sighed, running a hand through her thick curly hair and over her brow. _But I just can't leave this alone...I never could...always butting my nose where it don't belong...just like with those Jenners, right Jez?_

She shook her head, saddened by the gore that filled this place in every direction one could look.

_You've got to be here somewhere, Goliathus. Somewhere..._

_He's somewhere all right, but even I can't get to him._

Jezelle spun around and came face to face with Darry. Her jaw dropped.

_Hey Jezelle! Long time no see. _ The teen smiled, brown eyes looking as puppy-sweet as ever.

_My goodness...Darius Jenner. I'll be. _ The psychic struggled to keep from crying, she had to be strong now.

_Oh please, would everyone just stop crying over me already? _He said, obvious sarcasm in his voice. _Look, let's just go find our resident Bat-man, okay? If we even can... that evil being's hiding him well. And it's mean as the hell it came from. Took me a long time to come back once it lashed out at me like that._

Jezelle decided it was better not to ask what he was talking about. She just nodded and took his hand, leading him.

_Let's go then. We don't have much time._

/

It was so wonderful, to hold a baby, to feel total and unselfish love for another being. Ami couldn't stop looking at Genevieve, who was still nursing, even after Dinarius had been gone for at least half and hour.

_I hope he comes back soon, Puvo. I'm just so nervous...Donovan might be dead, but there's still Marcus, wherever he is. And then, of course, if Goliathus should find us..._

The bat chirped, scrambling around to her front, and sprawling out his little form over the chest of the infant, as if a living shield.

_Keep baby safe!_

Ami chuckled, and leaned down to kiss his furry head. "You're as sweet as your master. Seems odd for a heradus to be so kind, what do you think?"

Puvo just shook his head, obviously thinking otherwise.

"Yeah...well...guess there could be MANY obvious reasons for that, huh?"

Trying not to worry and for once relax, Ami realized how weariness was taking hold. She felt dizzy, slightly lightheaded...so quickly she lay on her side, holding the baby to her carefully.

_Okay?_

"I've been through a lot...Chasseur had me on that table...on a rack..." Tears started to fall finally, she just couldn't hold them back anymore. "It was so painful...so painful...and I started thinking about Goliathus, and all the pain that **_he_** must have felt..." She sobbed, and Puvo keened, not sure of what he could do about her sorrow.

"Does _anyone_ deserve what he went through, Puvo? Anyone in the whole world? It was all so wrong...SO wrong..."

Genevieve finally let go, and started to fuss as she seemed to be picking up on her mother's feelings.

Ami looked down and stroked her face, noticing her skin as as smooth as silk...like a human baby... "You're that much needed happiness he deserves, little Genevieve. A life he created rather then took."

Weary, Ami finally allowed her eyes to close, and started to drift off. But moments later, a rustling in a nearby tree jerked her awake, and her eyes immediately looked upward. Her heart started to pound.

"Dinarius?"

Silence, save for the whispering of the wind through the thousands of leaves.

Ami looked all around, but saw nothing. Fear clawed at her, and she wanted to get up and run.

Of course her body was having none of that, she could barely move. So she lay very still, hoping to hide like a young fawn amongst the tall grass.

"Dinarius...please hurry.." She whispered, keeping her face low to the ground and praying her baby would keep silent.

_Starcrow._

Blinking, Ami wondered if she had imagined it. It wasn't Puvo, the voice was completely different and sounded almost parrot-like.

_Ami. Starcrow._

Daring to look up, Ami's eyes widened as she saw the trees looked black. It was getting dark, but even so, it was completely out of place. And then, squinting, she realized...it was hundreds upon hundreds of...birds...black birds...they were crows!

One of them soared down, landing right next to her face.

"Who the heck are...?"

_Starcrow...watch. Watch you._

Ami couldn't believe it. Another talking animal! This had to be what Goliathus was talking about...the birds who had helped him back with the battle he had with Elsie...

_You belong to Goliathus, don't you? Just like Puvo with Dinarius?_

The bird clicked its thick bill, ruffled the feathers around its neck. _Yeah. Yeah._

Ami giggled. For some reason, she liked the bird...who was in truth a raven, ironically enough. Heck, she had always loved corvids. They were some of the smartest birds around.

_Are all those crows your companions? How many are there?_

_Many...Starcrow lead...many. Crows. Ring. _

He cocked his head back and forth a few times.

_Dark. Fire. We._

Ami seemed to understand, but only because she had heard some about them from Goliathus. _Yes...you're the Ring of Dark Fire. I remember him telling me that. How amazing! Can you say your name out loud? I heard that crows and ravens **can** actually learn to talk...like a parrot!_

The raven seemed to contemplate for this a while. He squawked a few times. Then he spoke, sounding eerily humanish.

"Starcrow!"

Ami smiled in wonder. What a fascinating group of birds they were! She felt safe with them...having hundreds of little black eyes watching everything in sight. How could she not?

_Starcrow, do me a favor, when chance permits?_

_Caaww?_

_Tell Goliathus his child is all right. Somehow...I know you can get the message through to him._

The black bird nodded its glossy head solemnly.

_Oh and...did he tell you the name? The name he gave her?_

Another squawk before it answered.

_Navi...Navi..._

The child moved, looking at the raven.

"Navi...perfect..."

/

He had missed this...soaring through the air as silently as an owl...eyes roving below for any sign of a hapless human foolish enough to be out in the darkening evening. And oh the hunger...it was so overwhelming now...he could think of nothing but sating it...the mere thought was semi-orgasmic. He HAD to eat, and eat now.

Finally, he found a perfect target. A man pulled over by the side of the road, his motorcycle seeming to have some trouble. A young lad of about fifteen was with him, perhaps his son or a nephew.

Who the heck cared, really?

The Creeper allowed himself to practically plummet to the ground, landing hard on his feet next to the cycle. The two humans were instantly frozen in fear, eyes as wide as saucers. They could scarcely comprehend what they were looking at let alone listen to the instinct that told them to run.

The older man, wearing a worn hat and disheveled looking jeans tucked around a flannel shirt, managed to step protectively in front of the younger one, even as his body trembled in shock.

_Oh how brave, how noble. _He exposed his long needle-like teeth as he grinned, dripping with saliva from the hunger that roiled. Black slime leaked from the corners of his mouth as well...the demon's signature card.

**_Are they not so PATHETIC? Kill them._**

Oh, he would be much obliged. Grabbing the man he lifted him with ease, watching him kick out uselessly and gargle as his throat was squeezed.

Gawds, he was so strong. So powerful. What a thrill.

Using one clawed hand he dove the fingernails into the man's neck. Blood spurted from his victim's mouth, dribbling down his face. The Creeper grinned, and twisted so that he could grab a handful of flesh, and tore the man's throat out. He then threw him to the ground, as the young boy began to scream.

He looked at the chunk, holding it close to his nose and sniffing deeply.

**_Ah yes, consume it. It is all you have ever wanted._**

Sighing with a wicked grin still plastered to his face, he popped the chunk into his mouth, instantly swallowed. It was like heaven.

Wonderful.

Almost.

Seconds later, The Creeper clutched his stomach in pain. He lurched, heaved, and violently retched, his head spinning.

The demon roared inside his mind, completely enraged by what was going on.

Somehow, it took the feeling away, made it disappear.

**_Eat! Go on. That little chunk? Hardly anything._**

Not knowing why he shouldn't, the heradus once again obliged and he leapt onto the boy, killing him quickly with a snap of the neck. He then tore him open, gorging himself on the innards until nothing remained.

The same was repeated on the father, who feebly fought until his last breath.

Ah wonderful. Yes, so wonderful.

But this time, he yelled out as his insides twisted, cramped up so bad that it was visible to the naked eye.

The Creeper howled, splayed his wings, then once again everything came up in a violent surge.

Rejection. Complete and utter rejection.

/

**_NO!_**

The six headed horror lifted all of its ugly heads to the black sky and let out a myriad of eerie sounds, more pissed off then ever.

It had Goliathus...had him in its very tendrils...and yet the human flesh was making him sick!

Snarling, it sank back down to the blood of the river, intent on fixing this little annoyance fast.

It was then, just as it was almost completely submerged, that it saw that woman again, and a wide, creepy grin spread over the face of the dragon-head.

Jezelle and Darry continued to walk down what seemed like a never-ending path. Then, at last, they came to what looked like a giant and rusty gate. Peering through the vine-covered bars, Jezelle could finally see Goliathus, chained on top of a strange circular stone atop a small hill. She gasped. The chains were piercing him, one even dug into the back of his neck. He was starting to look gaunt, shriveled...and he hung low to the ground on all fours in what seemed like great despair.

Jezelle actually felt bad for him. It surprised her.

_I feel for him too, believe you me. The poor guy doesn't deserve that. Heck, I would have said he did back in the early days when I was a very angry, vengeful spirit. But after learning what I did..well..._

"I know Darry, I know. Me too." She looked up at the gate, it was huge and seemed to speak the word "STUBBORN".

"How are we going to get this thing open?"

_Hm...well..._ Darry turned into a bright light and simply zipped his way to the other side, were he reformed.

_Maybe I can find a lock or something over here?_

She huffed. "Neat trick, show off." Darry smirked but said nothing as he searched the gate for some kind of latch or handle. _Eh nothing. Sounds crazy, but...try pushing it or something. _Jezelle shrugged but complied, and heaved herself up against the gate. It made an awful groaning, creaking noise but hardly budged.

"Yeah right, chile. That ain't gonna work. You gotta come up with somethin' else, hun."

_Well what do I look like? Harry Houdini? _Darry looked around closely once more, but shook his head. _Sorry. There just isn't any kind of lock over here._

"Well then why don't you go over to him and see what you can do? I'll...I'll think of somethin', don't worry."

Darry nodded and turned, making his way over to Goliathus. At the very moment he neared the stone, a terrifying sight rose up from behind it.

**_HE IS FINE RIGHT HERE...WITH ME...HIS TRUE FRIEND._**

Darry, even as a ghost, became washed in fear. A new head revealed itself, that which was very human in appearance. Except it was partly skeletal...deformed, and millions of what he swore were spiders crawled all over it, in and out of the hollow eye sockets.

Jezelle noticed too, he heard a whimper from behind him. "Gawds Darry get away from that thing!"

But that wasn't the worst horror this monster had.

Because it was so close now, he could see something that maybe a mere human just wasn't meant to see.

Faces lined its black, slimy body...faces that seemed pressed up against its skin...if you could call it that...from the inside. And they were moving, contorted into various expressions of torment, some with their mouths open and wailing, others screaming for help.

There had to be thousands of them.

_Thousands._

Occasionally, one seemed to almost escape the huge demon, coming partway out and revealing a decaying body. But with a mere twitch of a muscle, the soul fell back into its place.

Darry had every reason to be afraid. The realization hit him hard. That thing could do that to **_him_**, he was a spirit...

"DARRY! GET OUT OF THERE! NOW!" Jezelle screamed at the top of her lungs, making her voice hoarse.

Turning into a ball of light once more, Darry jetted skyward, hoping to move quickly enough to evade the demon. A tendril lashed out (or was it its tail?), and just barely missed as Darry made it safely to the sky, disappearing amongst the blackened clouds.

Surprisingly, the demon seemed to care little. Instead, it showed Jezelle its eerie grin and then grabbed the chains, pulling on them.

**_GET UP, SLAVE. AND KILL HER._**

Slowly and with much reluctance, Goliathus got to his weary feet. He looked completely defeated and hopeless.

With another angry yank of the chains, he turned to Jezelle.

They stared for a long time.

He leapt into the air then, gliding over the gate and landing in front of her, the chains still holding him fast with every movement.

"Forgive me..."

The psychic woman shook her head as tears brimmed. "What has that thing done to you..." Her voice was a whisper.

"I'm coming for you...run..hide...do anything you can..."

And in the real physical world, the Creeper got up, brushing himself off from his earlier spell of convulsion. He had a new plan.

The psychic woman, yes...why not get rid of that pest? Leaping high, he took to the air, sailing off in the direction of her house.

She was sitting there in her living room, gone into a trance, completely helpless.

A sitting duck for the taking.

/

End of Chapter 9

_Ack! Don't kill me! :dodges thrown keyboards: I know, I know, I keep leaving you in a cliffhanger. But that makes you want to come back for more! XD Chapter 10 to come shortly...MAYBE by no later then Sunday, if I can find more time write! Hope you enjoyed, PLEASE REVIEW!_


	10. Chapter 10

THE GOLIATHUS CHRONICLES

Chapter 10- The Battle Within

_Eh, this chapter's late due to work, school, and a period where I didn't feel like writing much. So I watched JC2 again and got inspired to continue. I assure you though, one way or the other, this story will go on. Actually I'm glad for the break, it gave me some time to reflect and think out the next chapter._

/

The stag lurched from its hiding area, springing off a tall boulder and landing with a thud as all four hooves found whatever strength they held and ran like never before. The animal knew a dangerous predator was on its heels, but something told it that this was far more deadly then any wolf or bear. A creature with a huge wingspan came soaring down and onto the ground, where it was forced to land and give chase as the forest was becoming more dense. Twigs snapped and a myriad of nocturnal animals scampered away as the stag burst through a large bush, trying in desperate terror to flee its pursuer. Its hot breath steamed the night air and moisture dripped from its black nose as the panicked animal fled, its mouth wide open in panting breaths.

_Let's end this._

With unfathomable strength, the winged predator leapt up high and seemed to disappear in the treetops. The stag kept running but looked around, no longer seeing its pursuer. With no scent to catch onto, the animal calmed its pace to a mere canter, looking around in confusion. Its mind told it that something dangerous had been chasing after it, but now, it seemed nothing was there.

With no visual proof as well, the stag let down its guard, and slowed its pace further still. A new instinct took over, one that told the large beast to get back to its herd. Sniffing the air, it caught the scent of its fellow deer and trotted in that direction.

And then, the winged creature leapt down from the trees in a sudden movement, capturing the stag off guard, and it was knocked down to the ground, all four hooves wildly flailing as the animal bellowed in distress.

_I'm sorry. But this is the way of things._

The deer blinked a dark and widened eye at the mind-voice, and stopped struggling. Fear still gripped its mind, but it seemed to fall into some sort of understanding. Slowly, the stag relaxed its held-up head, slowly sinking back to the ground. The eye kept watching, honing right on its attacker's own gaze.

And in one swift movement, Dinarius grabbed the creature's neck, snapping it and killing it instantly.

He allowed a long moment of silence to pass between them, before gutting the animal with his huge talons.

/

Jezelle snapped out of her trance, sweat pouring down her brow. She could scarcely believe all she had seen in the past hour or so, and now, her life was in real danger. The Creeper was after her. Getting up, she smoothed out the wrinkles in her pants nervously before quickly heading to her cabinet to get some items. Fumbling around she broke about seven bottles, spilling their contents all over the floor and sink before finally finding the crushed red brick she was looking for.

And some crushed chalk.

"Protection...I need protection..."

Swiftly she went back to the circle she had drawn on her living room floor and scratched out a new and larger one with the chalk. Stepping out carefully so as not to disturb it, she then went to every door and window in the house, spreading the crushed brick along the edges. At the very moment she had finished, a large thud and the sound of footsteps could be heard in the roof.

"Oh gawd...he's here already..."

Jezelle nearly ran into her circle and sat down quickly. She put her hands together and started praying.

With a mighty crash, the Creeper tried to break through a window, but screamed out as it came near the crushed brick. He seemed unable to pass, and snarled in frustration.

"Goliathus...you stay away from me...you're not being yourself!" Jezelle yelled, her answer coming in the form of a loud roar of anger as he put a fist right through another window.

The old woman struggled to maintain her composure, but could not stop her body from shaking all over. Fear was not something she could help at this moment. If he did get a hold of her, she would surely die.

Giving up on the windows, the possessed heradus went for the door, but again snarled as he realized he could not pass.

Jezelle stared at him as he peered in, only a few feet away from the door in her circle of protection. He glared back, wild intent glazed on his blackened eyes.

And then, he sneered, an idea springing to mind. Using his powerful wings he beat them hard, causing great gusts of wind to sweep across the floor, blowing all the brick dust away and most of Jezelle's circle. As he came forward in great strides, she quickly spread more chalk around her mere seconds before he reached out, trying to grab her with one powerful arm. It was as if some kind of force field held him back, for again the Creeper found he could not go any further. Rather then get angry again, however, he only chuckled and repeated his earlier solution, blowing all the dust away with muscular wingbeats.

Sobbing, the old black woman closed her eyes and hugged her knees. If she was going to die, she didn't have to watch.

Just as she felt a large hand grasp around her neck, he suddenly snorted in a fashion that caused her to half-open one eye. His expression had changed dramatically, but he seemed far off, as if listening to something Jezelle could not hear.

In the very back of his mind, Goliathus heard the small and familiar voice echoing into his conscience.

_Daddy! Daddy NO! Don't kill Nana..._

The six-headed monstrosity in his head heard the voice too, and huffed, finding the child nothing but a nuisance. It grasped the chains holding Goliathus, pulling them back harder. He groaned and fought against them in vain.

_Daddy, don't do it! Don't kill my Nana..._

Then, the small and piteous sounds of an infant's wails filled the mental plane's atmosphere. It tore at Goliathus like knives, and in a great surge of renewed hatred towards the demon, he spun around and reached out a claw, raking the hell-spawned creature's side and opening up wounds that gushed black blood. The six heads roared and the being retaliated with its own giant claw, intending to slam it down on the heradus.

But at the last second, he pulled harder against the chains and managed to dislodge one from his leg in a great cry of pain.

Part of the demon lost its grip on him...just enough to change his decision.

Jezelle was tossed back down to the floor like a ragdoll, but the Creeper howled and spun around, leaving as suddenly as he had come. The psychic wept anew, but her tears were now of relief.

/

Dinarius gulped down the remaining half of the deer's liver before finally feeling satisfied enough.

_Geez, vampire hunting is hungry work._

The deer's middle was completely emptied, and the heradus' belly distended. Content, he finally leapt into the air and made his way back towards the mama and her child. It didn't take long, he had made sure not to travel too far from where he left her. Upon getting closer to the forest clearing, he noticed the Ring of Dark Fire had returned and were watching her. Puvo had never left her side either.

_All in a day's work for you, too, huh Puvo?_

Upon hearing his master's mental voice, Puvo chirped and held up his quivering nose to the air. Ami looked in his direction and smiled as he landed almost as silently as an owl.

"All better now?" She grinned, pointing to his belly. "Pig."

"Hey if you were a heradus...you would understand." He came around and sat near them. "How is the baby?"

"She's been a bit restless...fidgeting in her sleep. Kinda seems a little upset about something."

Dinarius nodded knowingly. "She's got a lot to be upset about, actually." His blue eyes then focused on Ami, his expression softening.

"How are you?"

"I'm...okay...I guess. I feel a little better. Didn't by any chance bring me any of that food, did you? I could start a fire or something..."

He frowned, almost pouting. "Pigs often forget to share. Do you want me to go back? I could-"

"No, no...I was half joking, really. You stay here, where I need you. A big strong guardian to protect me and little Navius." She winked.

Dinarius felt heat flood his cheeks but thankfully his dark grey skin hid any evidence of that. "Big and strong maybe, but not always so smart."

He sighed, and stretched out into a lying position. Ami watched in fascination as he flexed those huge claws. What in the world was it, anyway, that she found so oddly attractive about claws? Were all women as weird as her?

"Thanks Dinarius. Without you I'd be dead, and so would she."

He smiled, but it was obvious painful emotions were making it half-hearted. "It's the very least I can do."

"Just don't go leaving anymore for feeding, would you? I'm too worried about so many things right now..." Ami held back tears, thinking of not only Marcus who was still around, but also Goliathus...totally torn from his true nature and sent unwillingly spinning back into his evil ways.

"I won't, I promise." Dinarius moved a bit closer to her to make sure they were warm, but he dared not get too close. Desires were already running rampant through his system and he needed to restrain them.

_I'm not some kind of gawd-damned animal. Ami's in trouble and she needs a friend, not someone to take advantage of her at a time like this. Even though...she is...probably the nicest human I've ever met... so sweet..._

"Dinarius?" Ami had noticed the distant look in his eyes. "You here or off flying around in la-la land?" She giggled.

"Sorry.." He looked back down to the ground before slowly averting his gaze up towards Starcrow, sitting in a low branch and every now and then cocking his head at them.

"Nice to have them around, isn't it?"

"Yeah. Though even they seem upset. They know something is wrong with the Master."

_Master. Gooone... away... _Starcrow cawed, ruffling all his feathers in solemn sadness.

"Don't worry, Star. You know we'll do everything we can to help him. I'm not sure how exactly, but..." he sighed again. "We'll figure it out." Even though Dinarius was always an optimist, even he was finding this depressing and almost hopeless. Just how DID he expect to help Goliathus rid himself of a thousand-year old demon in his head?

/

There were times the Creeper, even during his long and evil reign, had wished he could die. Times when guilt would plague him or he'd regret killing a human female that tried everything to appease him...even if it came down to violation.

There was also now, this time.

Somehow, whatever remained of Goliathus had won, sparing the psychic's life once more. For the moment, however brief it would be, he was back in control again. How he'd done it, he wasn't sure...but it had been painful. He wasn't sure that he wanted to feel it again...a pain that so reminded him of needles being jammed in his eyes.

Oh of course...that's what it was indeed. How could he be so stupid? The demon wanted nothing more then to remind him of his tormentors. So all the pain it caused him felt just like his worst memories.

But he had to fight this. He knew his daughter needed him, she could not survive without him. So were the ways of heradus.

_How did I know that? Strange, what comes to mind when you least expect it. Father...if only you were here now. You'd know what to do, wouldn't you?_

Goliathus looked up higher into the sky as if to try and see the very spirit of his father appear. But nothing was there, other then sparkling stars and the shining moon. He cried out longer and louder then he had ever before.

_I WILL fight you, monster. Do you hear me! YOU WILL LEAVE ME!_

Goliathus felt a sharp pain explode in his head, but he restrained from giving a scream that he knew it wanted.

He willed the pain to stop, willed with all his mental strength for the demon to withdraw further away.

And to his great astonishment, it did. Now, he had to find Ami. It was dangerous and perhaps crazy, but he needed her. She was the only real way out of this.

/

The hours passed by slowly, and the night grew colder. Ami shivered and kept Navius close to her. At this point, Dinarius had no choice, he had to get as close as possible to try and help them stay warm. At the same time, however, he wondered if staying in the forest was any real good choice...but, where would they go? It wouldn't matter if they left or not...Goliathus would find them anyway. And he would fight him, if need be, fight him to the death, if such a thing were even possible.

Ami snuggled closer to his warm skin, quickly removing Dinarius from his thoughts. He looked down and saw that her eyes were open, staring right at him.

"You sure you're ok?"

"Yeah..." She sighed. "It's just...your eyes. I've never seen eyes such a gorgeous, vibrant blue...they're practically mesmerizing me." Grinning, she stroked his cheek then closed her eyes, forcing herself to try and get some sleep.

Damn. There were those hormones again, making him nearly crazy. The poor human had been through so much, and just given BIRTH not too long ago, what the hell was he thinking anyway?

Puvo made it all too clear what he was thinking, his words appearing in his mind like engravings.

_Love her?_

_No...no. This is just...just lust. _He knew it was a lie, even as he said it. _Don't pay any attention to it. I'm here to protect her and fight against the vampires...that is all. Besides, you know she's with Goliathus..._

_Love her. Yes. _Puvo snorted, which for a bat sounded very odd indeed.

_Quit it, bat-brains. I don't need your two cents anyway._

Puvo didn't seem all that convinced and with a huffy chirp curled himself into a ball to rest.

_Somebody tell me what I am supposed to do..._Sighing heavily, Dinarius wrapped himself tight around Ami, Navius, and little Puvo, while the ocean of black eyes watched them, all blinking in perfect synchronization.

End Chapter 10 part 1

/

_I know this is short, but I wanted to get something out before any more time went on. I'll have the next part out as soon as I can manage._


	11. Chapter 11

THE GOLIATHUS CHRONICLES

Chapter 11- The Battle Within, Part 2

/

_Help me...help me please._

_I do not want to be like this..._

Ami slowly came to, blinking her still-weary eyelids. As the fuzziness of sleep cleared and the world of reality returned, she saw him. Standing right there next to the two of them, hunched down, breathing in her scent like a needed drug.

_I do not know what to do..._

Quickly Ami sat up, and she shrank back a bit, fear widening her eyes. Just like that, in one moment, Goliathus was there. He had found them. How long had he been there until she had woken up and seen him?

_Ami...love...help me..._

The heradus reeked of death, flesh still between his teeth...human blood so thick on his claws it was like caked mud between his toes. Who knew how many human lives he had taken already. Ami could scarcely breathe, and she subconsciously held Navi tightly to her chest. One finger poked at Dinarius behind her back, hoping he would wake up. Damn, but he could sleep if he wanted to.

_Ami, do you hear me?_

Goliathus raised his head to look right at her, his eyes gone from pitch black to a shadowy grey.

Trembling, Ami forced herself to reply. _ Yes...yes I do. Gollie...where have you been?_

_I...I am not sure...I cannot remember everything, only parts._

_Parts of what?_

The heradus fidgeted uncomfortably and seemed unwilling to answer. He diverted his attention to Dinarius, who was still fast asleep.

For a while, he said nothing...then huffed lightly.

_Why are you here with him?_

Ami gulped hard. She had often worried about this. _We ran from you, remember? He's just protecting me. I think. _She gave a violent jab with her elbow, startling Dinarius and he sat up fast, looking around...then froze.

"Well...look who showed up." Almost as if on cue, Dinarius crouched on his own two claws and growled, trying to sound as threatening as possible, he had been trying to prepare for this from the moment they landed in this forest. He may not have felt the gesture was much, but Ami was on the verge of bolting away upon seeing this new menacing stance. She nearly blanched white at the thought of the two of them fighting.

Goliathus snorted, and gave a trademark grin. _This pup thinks he can challenge me. _He chuckled, sounding as if a one-hundred year old man with rust in his lungs.

Ami intervened fast, getting between them. _He's not challenging you really, just trying to protect me. You were intent on killing us not too long ago, Goliathus. How do I know I can trust you all of a sudden? _

He frowned, digging one claw deep into the soft earth beneath him. _For the moment, you can. But I need your help..._

_Of course you do, I know you do... _Ami reached out to touch his scaly arm. _You know I care about you. How am I supposed to help, though? You tell me! I'm just as scared as you are...I have no clue what to do...and I have Navi to take care of..._

At the name Goliathus looked down, and in a sudden move swiftly grabbed the infant.

_No! What are you doing? Give her back! _ Ami lunged for him, but he dived out of the way. Dinarius snarled and attempted to strike, but Goliathus once again easily dodged.

_I need her. If she is with me, I may be able to keep the demon at bay._

_You're going to use her as...as...a mental shield! What kind of insane...GIVE HER BACK NOW! _ Tears in her eyes, Ami lunged again, and succeeded in making contact, but she merely bumped off his muscular chest and fell to the ground with a thump, dirt clouds rising around her.

_You can't just take her, Goliathus! You're far from well yet...you could end up hurting her! You bastard, you give her back! _Nearly hysteric, Ami tried to get up once more, but Dinarius once more got between them.

"Look, you heard the lady. Give her child back. You are hardly in any condition to be going anywhere with her."

Angry, the larger and far stronger heradus snarled in a true warning. _And you...pup...are in no condition to be giving ME orders. I know what I am doing...or at least...this is all I can do for now, if any further human lives are to be spared. I am sorry, but it must be so._

Goliathus spread his wings. Dinarius moved like lightning, getting into the air the second the other did, but was absolutely shocked as in a few beats of the air the other was much higher up...then gone in a strange twisting of the atmosphere.

_Teleported! Damn..._

Chasing after him now was futile...and Ami still needed protection. Dinarius sighed, feeling totally helpless against this far superior being, especially with the extra boost thanks to that dreaded demon. He hung his head, feeling miserable. This was not what he was designed for...to go chasing Master heradus. And hell, he couldn't even protect one single lousy human let alone even consider going after Goliathus.

Ami had tears streaming down her face, shock and confusion stinging at her, making her lose her grip on sanity. Her child had been wrenched from her arms and into a potentially lethal situation.

Dinarius took one step towards her, and she ran to him, leaning into his lean frame and holding tightly to him. "You've got to help me get her back! I can't lose her!"

But Dinarius wasn't feeling very much like a hero anymore.

/

Atop a great mountain, Goliathus had landed on a rocky outcropping and sat hunched over once more, rocking back and forth slightly with the infant. His daughter had her deep blue eyes transfixed on his, as if studying him in the same intent manner he would the world around him. She had barely made the slightest peep...in fact it was so quiet up here all he could really hear was the wind and her small breaths.

_How is it...you have even come into this world?_

Goliathus had been weeping openly for the first time in his countless years, but up here, no one would see him.

He needed the isolation...just him and this amazing new life...to consider what was to be done.

He held Navi close, taking in her scents and wrapping wings tight around the two of them. She made a cute baby sound, reaching up one little hand to touch his face.

Goliathus thought for a long time, the cold winds swirling about and creating an eerie symphony.

_I need to die, do I not? That would certainly keep them safe. _The words had come slowly and in deep thought, as he stared up at the bright stars.

_I must know how it can be done. Somehow I must find the answer._

He looked back down at her, smiling.

_You will be quite well with your mother. Someone who can really care for you and give what you deserve. For I deserve nothing...I have learned this, little one. My countless and horrific sins cannot ever be forgiven...I am truly a monster. A mass murderer. What would I do with myself if I ever harmed you? I can not let that happen._

Navi's expression fell, and her face scrunched up as tears welled in her eyes.

_I doubt this will work, but I never have tried...perhaps if the injuries are great enough..._

Overwhelmed by depression and at the bottom of a dark hole he could not escape, Goliathus flew Navius down to the ground, setting her gently in a patch of grass and then headed back up to the very top, and the edge of the outcropping. It was a very long way down...a nice straight shot to the ground of solid rock. The impact just might do it. Had he ever fallen from such a height before? Not that he could remember...surely this had at least some chance of killing him. It didn't seem feasible that he could regenerate fast enough to deal with such incredible injuries from such a fall. It would work...yes, it had to.

Navi cried loudly, now clearly upset. She howled like a young wolf keening, but Goliathus only looked down and over to her once before folding his wings tight against him, stepping off, and plummeting to the ground far below.

There was that usual sensation of a normal flight, when sometimes he would dive off and fall for a few seconds before spreading wings and gliding off into the distance. A euphoria as the cold wind whipped against him and he got closer and closer to the ground.

He hit, head first. There was a blinding pain as a sickening crack exploded and his skull shattered, jaw splintered, neck snapped, wings crumpled, and limbs splayed in every direction. The spine broke in several places, numbing all sensation, but before he blacked out...and hoping it would be for the last time, he noticed how just about every bone in his body was protruding from his skin at jagged angles, so severe were the injuries.

And on that thought, he heaved a great sigh, truly feeling it was over.

Then there was only darkness.

/

_You moron. Did you really think that would work? C'mon...you're smarter then that, right?_

Goliathus opened his eyes, and immediately screamed out in miserable frustration. He wasn't dead?

_No, you're not dead. I think you should know by now that you can't die, genius. Man, that little bunji jump without the cord you just did...THAT had to hurt. Your body looks worse then roadkill on a Texas highway._

Darry had his arms folded, looking down at him as he floated above.

_I had hoped it would work._

_Yeah..._The teen sighed and shook his head. ..._well, it didn't. And nice thought there, to abandon your child and all. You're the world to her, you selfish jerk. Get over yourself, and start seeing the forest for the trees. This demon is going to be tough, but you've already glimpsed on one of its weaknesses._

_Weaknesses? I saw no weakness in that creature._

_Oh COME ON...hello? HELLO? _Dinarius poked at his head, annoyed. _Is this thing on? Are we making a connection here? Did you not see, just a while back, how you tore one of that thing's blasted hooks right out of you? You can fight it, you can. It's your own self-loathing that's doing you in, Goliathus. You have to start seeing that. YOU are feeding that monster. All your anger, hate, sadness...everything that once had you dieting on us humans. It's only strong if you let it be._

Goliathus looked up, staring at him hard. _If you knew this, why did you not tell me before?_

_I kinda figured you were on the right path yourself...that it would make you stronger to find your own way. But it seems you're going to need a little extra help._

_Sadly, I can not do much, my friend. Jezelle and I barely escaped that thing the last time...all I can do is tell you what I know._

_And what I know is...you're going to have to do something miraculous...something that would shock that monster and weaken it just enough that you may be able to beat it._

_And that would be...? _The heradus drew close, more then ready to know what he had to do.

_Find my sister. If you can get her to not only forgive you but care about you...like a friend...then you just might have the power of true forgiveness behind you. That with Ami's love...may be just what it takes. Sappy, I know...but truth is, demons can't stand positive emotions. It's like poison to them._

Goliathus could have wept right there. His _sister?_ Trish? Was the boy completely insane? There would never...NEVER...be a day where Patricia Jenner would ever forgive him...not alone start to _care_ about him. He had seen that hate in her eyes...biting like serpents. She _loathed_ him...loathed him more then anything...and he of course knew why.

There had to be another way...just had to be...

_There really isn't, pal. But keep this in mind...I hated you once, too. But that's all changed. I'm not saying it's gonna be easy, hell, it could take you months, years...who knows. In the meantime, you'll have no choice but to try and keep it at bay...don't falter like you did this time._

Defeated, Goliathus sighed. _I can't. Not on my own._

_YES you can. I'm going to do something that will help you. I don't know for how long, but it should give you some time to find my sister and do what you can._

_But what are-_

Before another mental word could be spoken, Darius turned into his light form and Goliathus felt a shock like lightning as their energies melded. He saw brief floods of Darry's past life, scenes of childhood, family, friends...death...then...the demon's retaliation.

Infuriated by Darry's invasion, the demon lashed out with a head of shapeless rotted flesh, trying to block out Goliathus' mind and overwhelm his senses.

But Darry's spirit kicked Goliathus out of the mental plane, and back into reality. Slowly his eyes focused, and there was Navius, who had crawled up close to his face and was pushing against him.

He tried to move, but his battered body was useless. His spine broken, he felt no pain, but, what would he do?

Without being able to move, he could not hunt anything, and if that was the case...he would not heal. Maybe very slowly, but it could literally take months.

Crap.

Next time, maybe he ought to think a little more before he leap.

"Goliathus?"

Ami, was that Ami? He couldn't turn his head but she walked up to his side, instinctively reaching for the child first. How had she gotten here? Then he knew, as he saw Dinarius also walk into his line of vision, staring at him in disbelief. They had found him after all.

"Oh Navi, are you ok?"

_I would never harm her..._

"Yeah...but apparently you're good at harming yourself. Mind explaining why you're lying on the ground in a heap of shattered bones?" Dinarius winced at his own words, it sure looked painful.

_I tried to end my life...only to discover I am truly cursed. _

"That was pretty uhm...well...stupid, if you ask me. Do you need me to go read the definition of "immortal" to you?"

"Dinari..."

"What?" He blinked at Ami. "It WAS kinda dumb."

Ami gave him a look but she knelt down by Goliathus, stroking his face. If anyone understood him, it was her. She knew more of his heart's turmoil then Dinarius, who could never know the misery that the other had suffered.

_I am sorry, Gollie, this is my fault. I became afraid, rather then trust you and do my best to help. It's like, I had forgotten everything we had accomplished at the Facility. I love you, do you hear me? And love is something that just doesn't go away. I won't go away. I will be here for you always. _She sighed, looking over his wrecked form. _We'll bring you food, you need to get healed up and get out of here.._

Dinarius, who couldn't help but feel a stab in his heart from her words, groaned. "You're not saying I have to go out there and drag some deer through the air again, are you?"  
Puvo, who had been awfully quiet the whole time, chirped grudgingly in complete agreement.

Ami looked over her shoulder. "I can't do it myself." She grinned sheepishly.

"Huh. Why should I?" He huffed. "Called me a **_pup_**..."

"You mean...you won't help?" Ami looked at him, her expression turning crestfallen.

Dinarius rubbed his forehead, sighing. "No, of course not. I...it's just...oh, never mind." Without another word, he took to the air.

It was like he thought before, when they were in the forest.

What had he expected, anyway?

/

End of Chapter 11

_Yeesh, this chapter went in any direction it wanted to. Eerie, how I can see things coming together, even though I have no idea why it's going this way. Stories write themselves sometimes..._


	12. Chapter 12

THE GOLIATHUS CHRONICLES

Chapter 12- A Ray of Hope

_My friend Redplanets has once again inspired me. This story needs more Ami/Goliathus tender moments. Aww._

/

_I am such...a failure..._

The voice came unheeded, permeating his senses, sounding so distant and yet...it echoed through the mountains as if they had speakers buried within them.

_A failure..._

Goliathus realized he had woken up again, his broken and ruined body still the same...bones angrily protruding from every painful angle. Well, it should have been painful, but mercifully, his broken spine was sparing him that. He sighed, with much effort, through shattered ribs. A break from pain was always nice...even if it often ended entirely too soon. He looked around, but was alone. They had gone off in search of food for him, he knew that. And then he heard a voice...

**_I am the failure, Goliathus. I am the monster, not you._**

The words shocked the heradus, he had to keep blinking his eyes, wondering if this was real or a dream he conjured up. Seemed real enough. The air was fresh, cold...the mountains looming like stalking shadows, cast by the round moon full in the sky. Another peep. He strained his eyes to look down to his very near right...he couldn't move his head a blasted inch. He saw her then, it was Navi. Ami hadn't taken her with her?

_M**aybe...maybe she can fulfill the purpose. Perhaps she can make up for both our sins.**_

Goliathus realized then that deep in his soul...if he had one...he knew this voice. Masculine and deep, sounding strong and full of ages of wisdom. It even brought a picture to his mental canvas...glossy dark hair falling to the shoulders...eyes as blue as the midnight sky.

A face much like his, even if human...

**_I am the failure. Not you. I wanted too much. They expected too little of you. _**

**_They didn't understand. _**

Was it...could it be? He slowed his breathing to practically nothing, as if the mere sound of his small ragged breaths could overpower the voice, as whispery as the wind that blew by his ears.

_Father? _Maniel?

**_I am the true killer of those dead...you are not to blame...I told them this..._**

And then Goliathus sensed it gone. He sighed again, for such miserable lack of answers, so frustrating and nagging, were constantly torturing him...always.

_Daddy! Big light._

He had almost closed his eyes again when he heard the next voice, and at the same time felt the little hand grabbing his arm...a mental feeling, surely not physical...how strange. He could _feel_ mentally? Had he just never realized that facet before? Trying to look upwards was futile, but his eye did stretch far enough to take in the huge moon and its soft glowing beauty. Of course his own daughter would love the moon...it was a very part of him, seen in many pieces of his art, even his old and dark ones. He wasn't sure if he could actually manage a smile, but he felt it was there.

_Yes. A big light...as big as your heart._

Navius got up on all fours, crawling on top of him, using one chubby hand over the other in her impressive effort, and snuggled into his neck.

_Hungry daddy. Hungry. _She then writhed as if fighting a terrible cramp in her middle. _Hungry._

And then his brief happiness fell, like a rock thrown in a void.

"Oh for cryin' out LOUD!" Dinarius, completely fed up, threw down the deer as it once again was proving to be more effort then it was worth. Why the hell was he doing this anyhow? To feed that stupid moron who went and threw himself off a cliff? Yeah, that had to be fun. He had to remind himself to try that someday...find out what he was missing.

Sighing he swept back down to the earth gracefully...heaving the large animal back onto his shoulder in a far less graceful manner. He got back into the air with a few labored wingstrokes, then noticed Ami down below, holding up a rabbit.

"Huh, your makeshift slingshot worked? I guess you are a good huntress."

"Uh..." Ami's face flustered. "Well I tried...I ended up hitting Puvo." The bat was slumped on her shouder, still rubbing his terribly sore head.

Dinarius tried hard to stifle his chuckles.

"I got the rabbit from a trap I found in the woods. So sue me."

"That's cheating you know." He smirked.

"Yeah well...I'd rather not hit any other innocent flying objects, thank you."

Dinarius thought it best not to comment as he headed back towards the mountain cliffside.

As soon as they arrived, Ami put the rabbit down near Goliathus' head, and gathered up her infant, who immediately started whimpering. "Oh, what's wrong with you?" Mothering seemed to come naturally to Ami, as if she had done this before. In a way, perhaps she had...in a sense she had taken a very child-like and naive Goliathus and made him understand a little more about the human world. Well, even if this child had huge claws, teeth...a bad-ass attitude...

Dinarius made sure that as he landed, he practically threw the deer down on top of Goliathus, who once again failed to feel anything. "So this PUP brought you something. Hmm..seems YOU are the pup here, and I'm playing mother wolf." The other heradus made sure to emphasize the last word before finally sitting down nearby and rubbing his sore shoulders. Ami sighed, unhappy to see the two on more bitter terms. Goliathus hadn't truly meant to insult Dinarius...in fact, what he had said to him earlier in the woods was, admittedly, truth. As far as heradus went, Dinarius was less experienced, and completely unknowing to what the other had gone through. But still, his attitude was starting to baffle Ami, he seemed far more sour then she had known him to be. Turning her attention back to Navi, she attempted to settle down and nurse her while Goliathus struggled to eat (for his jaw was badly broken too), but her child only cried. She tried a second time, then a third, but Navius was clearly refusing.

_I had feared this._

Ami turned towards Goliathus, who was already slowly starting to flex his talon and wince from the pain it shot through him, as nerves could once again feel.

_Afraid of what?_

_She is her father's daughter. Too much like me. Already, the changes are happening._

_Changes? _Ami looked down at Navi, but she didn't seem all that different. Or wait a minute...did she seem a bit bigger? Was it her imagination playing tricks in the soft moonlight?

_We heradus are cursed with hunger. Never-ending. Sated at times, but...always will it come back, demanding more. It has already started...I can do nothing to stop it._

Ami wasn't sure how to feel. For some strange reason, it didn't seem like such a terrible thing to her, but that was because she saw things differently then Goliathus. Hunger was definitely a curse to him, he had seen the many dark and terrible forms of it. But in reality, it was mere heradus trait, a nature, something that simply had to be. If Navi was to be what life had made her, Ami would help...just as she had Goliathus.

_Then she'll simply have some of what you're having._

Goliathus had finally sat up, popping joints and bones back into place. He stared at Ami with uncertainty, but she merely went over to the deer, used a small knife to cut a very tiny piece, and offered it to her child. Navi struggled for quite a few tiring minutes trying to chew something with nothing more then bumpy gums, but she managed well enough. This was repeated several times until Navi finally stretched her tiny wings and arms, yawned, then fell asleep content.

_I should always know to expect the unexpected with you. _Goliathus managed a smile, which still didn't suit him very well, and with a few last helpings of venison, his amazing body had completely healed himself. Ami stared at him for a long time as she cradled Navi, wondering why and how he could be so different from one moment to the next. For something that lay in his mind winning over him as if he were a mere infant himself, he seemed to be able to come out of it relatively easy. WAS this something that only thrived because deep inside, Goliathus knew not that he subconsciously still wanted it there? Her head then began to tingle, as it always did, when one certain individual wished to talk.

_The old ways are easier, Ami. So much easier. I know this, the demon knows this. It was not seen before...but now...I know I am weak. Dinarius speaks truth...it is I who am the pup ,the one who needs instruction and guidance. I was but a young creature before they came and filled my life with pain, hatred, and suffering. There is a thousand years of such darkness to wipe away, and that is why...I need your help. Who was it, anyhow, who showed me that first ray of hope? It was the one who could care about me despite the ugliness that reigned in me, both physical and mental, with the forbidden human blood that stained my hands and soul. I have only you, my savior. Darry is right, but he is also wrong...this is my battle, but a battle that cannot be won without the aid of another. **You** are what that demon despises, because you are the very essence of the things it loathes...love and compassion... _Despite Goliathus' outpouring of near-poetic communication, he suddenly changed course, as often he did, gathering another thought that suddenly sprang to his mind. _Darry...yes...he said I needed to find his sister...and I still have yet to deal with Billy... eh..._He stood, looming tall, and sniffed the air, his mixed thoughts drifting and becoming harder to hear. _I loathe the thought of dealing once more with those farmers..._

Trying to absorb it all, Ami sat for still several minutes, staring at him as he ambled off, looking here and there, sniffing, as if trying to figure out what he should do first, so was the anxious nature of him. Finally, she stood herself, and handed the child off to Dinarius. "Can you do me a favor, Dinari, and take her home? Guard her for me until Goliathus and I return."

"But Ami, how do you know he's safe? And what about-"

"Please, do as I ask." She looked at him, eyes pleading, speaking pages of words that he only had to read. Wordlessly, Dinarius nodded and after making sure Navi was safely tucked in his arms, flew off, leaving the two alone. Ami couldn't help but smile, Dinarius trusted her. It was a grand thing to know that she could gain the trust of others with little effort, even if her ideas were often crazy. Then she turned, following the powerful predator walking off into the distance.

/

_Hey, Gollie, will you slow down? Where are you going anyway?_

_Back to where the Taggarts are, I suppose._

_Did Darry really say you had to go and find them? Billy isn't even there, you know that._

_He is. I buried what remained of him right under that farmer's nose, just to spite him. He never knew it. _

_What? _Ami's stomach lurched, thinking about it.

_Under the porch, which is where the old man sleeps. He slept every night while I did, with his son's remains right underneath him..._

Ami wanted to cry, or be sick...she wasn't sure. Goliathus could sometimes make her doubt him, very much. Even make her feel lost, like she was wandering on a dark and lonely road, with him nowhere in her sight.

_I thought there was very little of him left though. _She regretted it the instant she sent the mental words to him.

He stopped in his tracks, and so did Ami, marveling in some kind of fearful fascination at his intimidating silhouette against the moonlight. Geez, this was being breathless in a whole new meaning. He was, at times, something _beyond _fear.

_A few bones. _He left it at that, thankfully, and continued walking.

'Why is he walking?' Ami wondered, then getting a little annoyed, ran to catch up with him. She stood in front, forcing him to stop, and he peered down at her curiously.

_I must do these things. It seems spirits simply know, and we must obey. Not that I want to go there-_

_Goliathus. You can't just go and walk over there, looking for those remains. Jake Taggart's other son is still alive, and the instant he sees you, you're not only going to traumatize the poor man...but his children too. He has kids now, I GREW UP with them, they were my best friends. There are methods to the madness, love, believe me. Let's not deal with it right now. I need to help you, remember?_

His eyes widened slightly as he cocked his head, glancing about and still lost in his thoughts. _But Darry told me this..._

_What, is Darry your master now or something? I know you need to do these things, but like I said, we have to find a way, not just go leaping blindly into a situation. That got you into trouble before, didn't it Goliathus? Like those many years ago when the humans first saw you perched atop that tower. Trust me on this._

He huffed then, clenching his fists but staying rooted to his spot. She was right, of course she was right. Gawd dammit, this blasted human was _always_ right, she could see right through him like glass. Knew his ways maybe too well.

Well hopefully not everything...

_Why don't we go off somewhere? Just you and me? Like those times we would go and take moonlit flights..._

He shifted uncomfortably, gazing at her eyes, then looking away. _I am tainted with human death._

_Goliathus...I don't care. I don't even care that it was very recent. I know you are struggling, that you are dealing with something far more then even I can truly understand. All that matters to me is that you are NOW, at THIS moment...the real you. And I always...always, will love the real you. Nothing can ever change that. Now please, I want my Gollie. Take me somewhere. _She too, was rooted to her spot, like a stubborn child who refused to give in.

Goliathus seemed agitated, as he growled and scuffed the ground, fighting the thought to walk past her and move on, to have his way, but also wanting to oblige, sweep her up into the air, and meld with her very soul. How he loved her. He knew it, and it was something that both elated him and caused his insides to twist.

_Just say it, Gollie. Tell me. Tell me, AND that son-of-a-bitch trying to control you, what you really want to say. You know you can._

Shutup! Couldn't she just shut up? No, he really didn't want that. Thoughts kept racing across his mind of her bloody throat as he tore into it, and others of their bodies mingled in pure rapture...just raw, lusty, heated pleasure. Oh gods how he could no longer stand this, like feeling happy and sad at the same time, well and sick, loving and hating, all at once...the confusion was sure to drive him to madness almost as much as his past had. And yet, a mental arm kept reaching out, knowing she was the way and every solution. He HAD to listen to her. Whether he thought he did, or really didn't want to. No matter what the confusion and agonizing torture his mind was going through.

It took great effort, but finally Goliathus stepped towards her and picked her up.

_Where to then...love?_

She smiled, leaning her head against his chest. _Howabout my favorite spot by that rock?_

/

The demon sensed it coming, like a wave of lighted filth coming into its dark world, so nauseating. That irritating human female was becoming a far greater threat then it had ever realized Why did he allow himself to be fooled by her?. It had several times tried to tempt Goliathus into killing her, but he kept resisting, and it only enraged the monstrosity further to see his chained form, despite all the hooks painfully wrenching his skin and muscle, smiling and moving about, seeking her warmth. Geh. Humans were so disgusting. What did they see in such useless, fake emotions like lo...lov...ech. To even think the word made the evil want to wretch.

But it could feel the damage coming, and there was no stopping it. Their heated desire was like burning coals in its eyes, more strong and true then it had ever been, and the union a great wave of blinding light that caused it to choke and gasp. The horse head was losing the battle...the symbol of corrupted sexuality being overcome by its opposite.

The head neighed, coughed, sputtered...vomiting great heaves of black fluid, then shriveled...convulsed, opened its maw wide, and fell off, landing to the mental ground in a heap of dust.

The demon shrieked, screamed, and in its fury spewed more of its foul essence on Goliathus, hoping to literally drown him out of his positive trance. The liquid, rather then burn and slither into his being, merely fell off like sloughed skin, useless.

_CURSE YOU...DARE YOU TO RESIST ME?_

He would pay for this one. Oh how the demon vowed to find a way to make him suffer. It had no limits, no inhibitions. If he wanted to play dirty, if he wanted to DARE challenge him, then he would soon learn that true evil was something he had only seen the very beginnings of.

Oh yes...how it knew the darkest of games that could be played.

End Chapter 12

/

_I was sick with some kind of bad cold, and a week later, at present, feel as if my throat is getting sore again. I worry this is strep, which I had last year. :sighs: This is why I hate this time of year. Sorry this chappie is so late, but that's mainly why. But gawds how I love this story, so don't you worry, I shall prevail! _


	13. Chapter 13

THE GOLIATHUS CHRONICLES

Chapter 13- Plagues of Memory

_This is an extremely gruesome, angsty chapter... just to warn you. But it's a very important one. I'm frustrated at my limited ability with writing, but I hope it will be portrayed well enough._

/

_The squirming brat roiled in my grasp, sputtering obscenities and clawing at my face with his useless human fingers. I remember laughing, finding it all so humorous, before finally growing tired of his constant movements and chaining him to a wall. Just eating a victim was never enough. I had to torture...I had learned well the ways of giving pain. The farmer's son was brave, I had to give him that. Despite everything I did, despite every shriek that emitted from his mouth sounding like a young girl as I cut his flesh, he still cursed at me, damned me to many hells, and stared with an icy glare. _

_But mine was worse._

_His constant noise angered me, made everything fall to darker and darker moods. At first, I would have been satisfied with just watching him scream for a time, but later on, he got on my nerves to dangerous levels. And to do so with me is for certain an ill fate...any human would probably rather take their chances with a numerous variety of ways to die...then to anger me._

_I remember...Billy said... "You rotten piece of shit. You think you're going to get away with this. I know my father! He'll come after you!"_

_Halfheartedly I chuckled, but because I still boiled with irritation, my first impulse was to silence him. I was growing very tired of his persistent jabbering. Slamming his head against the wall as if he were nothing but a rag-doll, I reached out with the other arm, grabbing his lower jaw and slowly twisting. The snapping and cracking produced nothing from him at first, then it was as if the resulting wails of agony were a delayed response. He screamed...loud and shrill in my ears...until blood gargled in his throat and he began choking on it._

_I wrenched the jaw from his body entirely, watching the blood come down in rivers and pooling at his feet. Now, he could no longer speak, and the breath came in long ragged gasps. And the demon spoke again, showing me visions of each appendage suffering the same fate._

_And what could I do but listen?_

**_THE BRAT. CHILD OF A MAN. KILL HIM, BUT MAKE HIM SUFFER. JUST LIKE THEY MADE _YOU_ SUFFER!_**

_I took one of my favorite daggers. And the poor child, I cut every one of his limbs off, with calculated precision, until finally the blood loss and pain stopped his heart, mercifully ending it all..._

_Then I ate everything, leaving nothing to put on my walls._

_I remember feeling annoyed at myself for that fact._

/

Ami found herself alone the next morning. Alone and on top of a great mountain in a cave. Dressing herself and stepping out carefully to peer outside, she realized there was no hope of getting down, either.

_Damn him! Where did he go? Gollie?_

He was gonna get it for this one, she knew exactly where he had gone.

/

The trek to the farm seemed to take longer then usual. For some reason he did not understand, he had come down from the air and decided to walk...the rest of the fifteen miles. Walking wasn't all that smart an idea...considering it was daylight and anyone perchance taking a stroll themselves or driving down the country road on East 9 might just see him. Especially a huge, hulking creature with folded wings and talons that would make a dragon quiver.

Eh, but what was the point of worrying about it anyway? No one could hurt him. Not even a blasted mountain could end his existence, he had learned that the hard (very hard) way. And if he scared them, who cared? He promised never to kill another human...willingly at least...not that he wouldn't frighten them.

Unless they planned on giving him one hell of a make-over.

Finally he stopped from his long strides, inhaling great quantities of air and getting the strong scent of animals (which of course induced hunger) and familiar odd scents of humans...sweat, colognes, testosterone...even hair gel.

_Foul..._

Heading off the road and up a grassy hill, he saw the farm as he reached its crest. It looked exactly the same. He saw the tall barn, the house, the crops. And then instantly...he saw the ghost of Billy, darting straight towards him from the long stalks of wheat, dashing to and fro in strange patterns as if someone was hitting the pause button on a remote on and off.

_You fucking...you came here...fucking freak..._

He went to move, to avoid the angry spirit and fly towards the farm, but instead, Billy had other plans.

He sent his energy flying, crashing into the heradus, sending waves of pain to his jaw and limbs.

Temporarily crippled, the shocked creature fell to its knees in a mid-jump, clutching its face from the surprising jolt of sensation that gripped him. The memories plagued him again. Over and over he saw the wrenched jaw, dripping blood. The limbs as he cut them off from the writhing and hoarse boy who had resorted now to fear and begging, his eyes unnaturally wide.

His voice exploded in his mind, waves of expletives like a blinding light that drowned out all other sound.

_Billy...Billy..._

_**Fucking freak!**_

_Billy..._

_**You took me away...from my family...**_

And then, still only being the soul of a young child, the emotions shifted, from anger and hate to sadness and despair. The migraine-like pain in his head quieted, being replaced by staring blue eyes that still showed little signs of a willingness to forgive. Billy knew the truth, and yet, he still hated his killer with every fiber of his being.

This would not be easy.

_Billy...I am sorry..._

Now able to move again, he headed towards the barn and after a few moments of hesitation at the entrance, walked in.

And there it was, the shackles, still hanging from the wall. He remembered those shackles, how they hurt during all those years. He was asleep, yes, in his deep hibernation, but still aware in the back of his mind, still able to perceive things such as sound and smell.

The voice of his Ami...the scent of her perfume.

The very beginnings of something positive welling in his heart, and how he hated her, hated the fact it was happening and that he could do nothing, for his body would not move in its state of suspended animation.

He was forced to listen, forced to acknowledge her presence. Otherwise, he knew, he would have killed her the very moment he had the chance, never hesitated like he did in that cave, listening to her pleading when she was once his intended victim.

And that thought made him feel the rare tears welling in his eyes.

How she had changed him. The only thing close to tears before her was the tears of his laughter when victims would yell at him or try to fight back, and he found it outright amusing. He knew this would be the last time he would ever come to this barn, or this entire farm. But he had to do something first,and he wasn't sure how.

Just as he turned to leave, he heard footsteps, a horrified yell, and the sudden smell of fear that always overpowered every other one of his senses.

"Y-you..."

Jackie. Much older now, gristled, and arms bulging with muscles from the hard duties of farm life. He had an infant clutched tightly in his arms, a baby girl...no more then maybe five months. A thought of his little Navius came to the heradus' mind, and he smiled, just for one moment.

Jackie paled, translating that smile (which always looked wicked even if not intended) into an intent to kill his daughter. Instinctively he reached for a weapon...a rapier hanging on the wall, used to cut wheat.

_Funny, humans still use such primitive instruments?_

That was the actual thought he had before he found that very instrument cutting into his leg as Jackie struck. He didn't fight him, he deserved this pain, feeling an incredible amount of guilt in his heart about Billy.

In the next moment, he felt Billy cry out, leaving...suddenly forgiving him and letting go as the boy caught his thought and emotions. He also felt the rapier successfully amputate his leg, and he fell to the ground.

Still, he did nothing. But he looked up at Jackie, and forcing himself to speak (which was always a task) the words formed as a deeply felt apology, stunning the farmer into shocked silence.

And as always, despite the words, the human reacted with anger.

"Sorry? Sorry? Is that a fucking joke?" Jackie took the rapier, held it up high, aiming for the neck. Time seemed to slow down, nearly coming to a stop, as it went up high over his head, the sun catching the metal and glinting off the shiny surface as it came down in an arc.

Goliathus shut his eyes, simply waiting for another episode of darkness.

And it came, in a way he had not anticipated on.

The demon reacted for him, he felt a pang of nausea as he suddenly surged forward, grabbing Jackie's leg and causing his swing to miss. In fact, because he had put such force into that swing, he could not stop it fast enough. The rapier released from his grasp, but continued in its arc, and like a boomerang, came right at the farmer, slicing him halfway in the mid-riff.

Damn, but how that demon could time things...as if it could control time in some strange manner on its very own.

Blood rushed from the huge, gaping wounds, and Goliathus found himself being covered in it as well as piles of intestines as they slid out, then the weight of Jackie as he fell upon him. There was only one gasping breath before he was gone.

The suddenness of the event shocked Goliathus, but once his senses were anew, he scrabbled back on his one leg using his arms, getting himself away from the gruesome scene before the scents could take their hold.

But it was far too late.

The lost appendage only made it worse.

_EAT... _The demon laughed. The infant girl, who had fallen to the ground, was unharmed but was wailing at the top of her lungs, keeping Goliathus from complete insanity.

One arm reached, grabbing a fistful of intestines. The other tried to pull away, towards a horse in a stall that had now started neighing frantically at the scene before it.

_NO...EAT **THE HUMAN**... _the demon roared, trying to drown out his resolve. But the heradus refused to give in, and continued to pull himself desperately along the ground towards the horse.

_**NO!**_

He found himself turning, back towards the now dead Jackie.

_Oh gods...I killed him..._

He looked at the infant girl. What was he going to do with her?

_**YOU WILL EAT HER AS WELL.**_

_No...NO..._

Now foaming at the mouth from the mental struggle, Goliathus forced himself away from the humans but it felt like fighting the force of a powerful magnet. He started to feel tired, as if a sense of wanting to give up.

But then he remembered what Darry had been trying to tell him, that it was really him giving this demon power...and strong as it was...he was the only one who could truly fight it...

Determined and with an angry yell, he once again surged forward, and this time...there was no force holding him back, although another splitting headache pounded his brain. The terrified horse kicked out as he neared, and he felt a bone break under its hoof, but he managed to climb onto the back of the animal. Reaching around, he sunk his teeth into its neck, strangling it, and the great beast collapsed.

He gorged himself on the horse, nearly retching at first, then feeling the strength return to him and the leg start to grow back.

Once again defeated, the demon made an awful, unearthly noise as it lost another head, the one of a human visage half-rotted.

It's most powerful force was gone...the desire to eat humans.

Enraged at the tremendous victory, the demon lashed out, sending waves of intense pain and anything else it could manage. Floods of terrible memory once again haunted Goliathus' mind.

**_MOREN...YOU'VE BLOCKED OUT HIS MOST AWFUL TORTURE, HAVEN'T YOU?_**

**_YOU FORGOT ABOUT YOUR MOTHER'S SISTER ADRIEL. DIDN'T YOU?_**

_**THEN REMEMBER. DO NOT BE FOOLED! WHY DO YOU INSIST ON FORGIVING THEM?**_

_Adriel..._

_Moren came, somewhere in the middle of the year of agony, carrying down the stairs with the help of a few others a struggling, yelling woman. Her scent was familiar, and he wondered if perhaps it was his mother._

_"Annabelle?"_

_The name sent the woman into silence, and she stared at the creature, all chained up and withered to nothing, but with a tender recognition in its eyes._

_"Go...Golia..." A few tears brimmed in her vivid chestnut eyes. "They killed your mother. It's me, Adriel...do you remember?" Her voice had compassion in it, a sense that she was kind. He knew this was a friend immediately, remembered her fully now. A hope formed in his heart._

_"Yes..." he said weakly. "Not many days I knew you...but yes..."_

_Moren roughly chained Adriel next to him, but unlike Goliathus she was not kept from moving, just shackled. _

_They were together and left alone for that one and only night._

_"Oh Goliathus...forgive your mother..." Adriel sobbed, choking on her words. "...she never meant for them to find you..."_

_The heradus made no sound at her statements, simply stared down at the ground._

_"She loved you. If there was no other human in this world that did, Goliathus...always remember that."_

_"I am a monster. They say I am a demon." Goliathus was actually starting to believe the words of his tormentors...just slightly..._

_"No...you are no monster. They are." Adriel came closer, leaning into his withered form, her lips brushing his cheek. Even in his weakened and wrecked state, he felt those powerful aches in his loins, breathed deep her incredible scents, like a sweet drug, intoxicating him._

_She was a strange woman. Kind, but she acted differently. Like May...but...it went farther then that..._

_"Why did they bring you here?"  
_

_Adriel looked away, a few tears wetting the cold, stone ground beneath her. "They only said I'd be...part of...your torture..." she managed to whisper, but said nothing more._

_And in those last few hours of the night, she kept herself close to Goliathus, warming his cold body and comforting him._

_Aunt Adriel._

_The next day, they killed her, slicing her throat in front of him, calling her a witch...with the logic that because she was Annabelle's sister, she was immediately an accomplice to her, and needed to die. _

_They tempted Goliathus with her flesh. He could hardly even know then, and only just realized now...that this was what truly started his cursed hunger and corrupted it to humans._

_Though he fought them tooth and nail, they eventually won, forcing him to consume her. _

The memory was one of his most painful, and caused the heradus to weep. Rather then succeed, the demon had only reminded him of such a void in his soul and had actually caused it be filled as the emotions, held in for centuries, were now released.

It shrank back, insane with anger over two defeats, and blended back into the shadows.

Somewhere else in his mind, Darry cheered.

/

End of Chapter 13.


	14. Chapter 14

THE GOLIATHUS CHRONICLES

Chapter 14- Father and Daughter

_Well. I don't have a real good reason for the lack of an update in such a GAWD-AWFUL long time...but, when I made the promise to write the story and finish it, I never did say just how LONG that would take. Nonetheless, anyone who still cares and reviews the story gets my deepest thanks._

_Onward..._

/

Dinarius crouched atop the Facility's Atrium door, watching the scenes below. Julie had her hands full with Navius, trying to calm the crying infant creature who refused all sources of dairy and in fact would simply spit it out. Her hunger was becoming fierce...and at an alarming pace. Dinarius frowned...so was the life of a heradus...she was doomed to suffer that fate as all others in the past had.

He just hoped that it never truly got as bad as her father.

/

Ami paced the cave, growing severely impatient. Goliathus was taking way too long, and she had just about had it with him. _I told him not to go there...I WARNED him. Why didn't he listen to me? ARG...stubborn bastard! _She looked over the edge outside again, seeing how far down it went. The sight made her dizzy and quickly step back. There was no way in HELL she was going to actually try climbing down, and so all she could do was sit, rest her chin on her knees, and wait for him to come back.

It didn't take much longer.

Next thing Ami knew, there was the sound of a rather furious heradus as its huge claws scraped stone upon landing and the screams of an infant. Ami nearly paled at the sight...Goliathus was covered in blood (not that it was all that unusual to see him like that) and he held a child that certainly was too normal-looking to be his own.

"What the...where did the baby come from?" The moment she asked the question, she knew. Something at the farm had gone horribly wrong. The other questions died in her throat as he handed the infant to her, rather roughly, then went to a nearby wall, fished something from his pockets, and started scrawling images with a piece of art chalk from one of the many sets Ami had given him. It was grey, seemingly his favorite choice of colors, but the way in which he decided to draw furiously in this moment made Ami feel very uneasy.

Mentally, he was trying hard to regain himself.

Ami just watched, as countless minutes passed, to see what scenes unfolded. After a while, she managed to make out what appeared to be the farm, one of the Taggarts (so she assumed) and the demon...lurking hideously in the background. The next image was of the demon grabbing Goliathus with one of its sickly claws like an iron hook, sticking into his back and using him like a puppet. Several grey strokes later, the farmer lay dead, gutted by a scythe.

The remaining stub of chalk was thrown away harshly to the other side of the cave wall, and then the creature turned, facing her.

"Oh Gollie...I..." Ami wanted to say something, but his expression took all of the will out of her. For reasons most petty humans wouldn't understand, a sad expression upon this tortured creature's face was enough to drain her of all hope.

"It's not your fault..." _Yeah, that will just solve everything. How stupid was that to say?_

Growling, Goliathus quickly stepped towards her and picked her up...by the neck.

Ami knew not to allow herself to get too afraid, lest that scent excite him, but she also knew he was pretty much emotionally incapable of harming her. It had been proven more then once that they had bonds as iron as those demon's claws...

She dangled there for a while, finding it painfully difficult to breathe, and then after several moments, he put her down, huffing.

_Stupid human. You should not love me so much._

"Peh...you should talk. Stupid heradus goes and falls in _love_ with said human."

Goliathus snorted at her response, and after a very brief contact of his wingtip to her face, turned to stare at the art upon the wall.

_It manages to have its way with me...even when I have victories. I am so tired of this battle..._

Eyes narrowed, he howled, then clawed fiercely at the wall, demolishing the scrawlings and making deep grooves in the rock that years of erosion couldn't hope to produce. Ami's eyes inadvertently widened, his power was always so chilling...so _intoxicating. _How DID a stupid human manage to do what she did? The question always lingered in her mind, even now.

_So who died, Gollie?_

_The young farmer..._

_Jackie?_

_Yes._

_Oh gawd...so...this child is his?_

_Yes._

Ami frowned. What in the world would they do with this poor infant, innocent and torn from its family? Family.

_You should bring her back, to whatever remaining family you can find. I don't know, maybe a grandmother or something...or at the very least, just leave her at a hospital. No one will ever know what happened anyway...they'll find Jackie's body but they certainly won't find you. The baby, well...they'll make sure she's okay._

He stood, staring at the wall.

Ami wondered if he'd listened at all. _Okay Gollie? Just go and drop her off somewhere safe._

He gave a curt nod, almost as if annoyed at the prospect, but it seemed he knew the child deserved better then the terrible blows it had already been dealt...she was entirely too young to realize she had just lost her father anyway.

He took the infant from Ami's arms tenderly, staring at the child's face a long moment.

_I will take her back...then meet me at the Facility. Navius calls for me...her pain is great._

From the rather stoic expression his face normally held, Ami would have thought perhaps he was joking or speaking about the weather. But she realized he was every serious, and before she could question him further, he was out the cave entrance, flapping away into the darkening sky.

He'd be back to get her, but as always, there were always more questions, and all the less answers for them.

/

Dinarius scowled as he saw the great sweeping figure making a beeline for the Atrium, but once the fellow heradus landed, he saw that Ami was with him, which caused him great relief.

"Is everything all right?"

"Well...I'd be lying if I said it was, Dinarius, but I'll tell you that story later. Thanks for taking good care of Navius and getting her back safely." She smiled warmly at him, but it didn't last, as the crease returned to her brow. "Gollie says something's not right with her, though?"

There was a chirp from Puvo, who revealed himself from underneath his master's long white mane.

He gnawed on his wing, followed by another series of frantic chirps.

Ami raised a brow, as did Goliathus, who never quite understood what the hell that bat was trying to say.

"What Puvo is telling you is that her hunger level is so bad she's been gnawing on her own arm even...thankfully she doesn't have real teeth yet..only sharp points..but still...Julie's trying everything...but I don't think they realize that they still aren't feeding her enough. It happened so fast too, who knows why." Dinarius tapped harshly on the glass, catching the attention of Julie, who quickly hit the button. As the strange pyramid-shaped roof came open, he jumped down, being quickly followed by Goliathus who carried Ami.

"I'm so glad you're back, Ami!" Julie gave a tight hug before sighing, a sound all too familiar to her best friend. "Your poor daughter, I just don't know what to do for her anymore."

She pointed over to a smaller caged area, where the child now was. Ami was in utter disbelief, for suddenly the small creature could climb and was all over the walls as deftly as her father. Ironically, ever so often, she'd stop, curling into a ball and wailing in her little high-pitched voice. The sound caused Goliathus to grow anxious and he shifted on his feet.

"Why is she in there?"

"Well, she started gnawing on some of the arms of the medics trying to help her." Julie grinned nervously, rubbing the back of her neck. "They weren't too happy about that."

Ami paled. "Was she trying...to..?"

"Oh no! I don't think so, Ami..she's been doing that to herself too, like...like some sort of pacifier, it seems to help her a little to chew things...but the thing is, we've been feeding her, but she doesn't seem to get enough...she eats a little then refuses more, I can't explain it."

Thoughts of the earlier days with Goliathus were causing Ami to get a wicked sense of deja vu...he himself would chew bars in an attempt to get his teeth on _something_, **_anything_**, so overwhelming was the wicked hunger that cursed him. If that demon has somehow gotten some part of itself within Navius...Ami shuddered, trying not to linger on that thought.

She stared at her child helplessly, miserably...at a complete loss. It seemed only feasible to look at Goliathus, standing there like the most frightening version of a knight in shining armor, for all the answers that were needed. He WAS the father, and also a heradus...he had to know everything...at least right now, in this moment.

Ami's stare caused him to snort with a head-tilt.

_I worried about this, I told you._

_What do we do about it, Gollie?_

_First, release her from that prison. Mine was acceptable, since I needed it and deserved it, but this child, she is innocent._

Ami frowned. _You're right..I don't like her in there either._

"Eh-hem..." Julie cleared her throat, noticing that the way they looked at each other was evident of mindspeech. "You know not all of us are gifted very well with throwing words around in our minds...can you please vocalize this conversation?"

"Sorry Julie...Gollie says to let her out."

"Are you sure about that? She IS a fiesty little thing."

"Just do it okay? It's not a good idea to say no to daddy."

Feeling a sweat bead fall from her forehead, Julie obliged and opened up the cage door with a slight clank. Navius clambered out, and promptly raised her arms to her father.

The sound she made was much like the happy grunt of a typical infant human, but her blue eyes were reddened by previous episodes of tantrums.

Goliathus swiftly picked up the child, who cuddled close to his neck. Julie couldn't help but grin at the ironic sight.

"So..?" Ami turned once more to Goliathus, also smiling faintly at the obvious bond he had created with his daughter...which both knew had seemingly existed before she had even been born.

Sudden memories of that horrible birth, the pain, blood, and chaos everywhere had to be viciously fought out of Ami's mind just as quickly as they came. For now, she wanted to forget about all that.

_Where is a bucket of the "Good Stuff"?_

Ami turned to Julie, echoing what was spoken to her, and Julie promptly frowned. "We tried feeding her that, it didn't work."

_She will eat it, but not from you. Being what she is, her instincts are to trust her own kind only. It is one reason I myself have been so hard to...tame..if you will..._

Ami blinked. _Tame? You...? Heh. If you want to call it that indeed._

Julie was surprised by the news once Ami retold it. "So now only her father can feed her?"

"Apparently.." Ami felt almost betrayed in a sense...she had experienced such quick, almost non-existent bonding with her own child...nursing had not lasted long, and neither was the successful feeding of the deer back at the mountain. Though she knew, deep inside, why this was so...her daughter was not human, and couldn't be. The way she looked as a newborn, with human hands, even that was changing...now she could see the little nails starting to take on pointed tips.

Apparently, the heradus side was winning over, and with not much of a battle.

_I, and perhaps Dinarius. Bring the bucket here._

Once Julie fetched it, it was clear that Goliathus knew what he was talking about, once again having spoken of some fact of which even he had no explanation for its origin. Navius was ravenous, practically biting his fingers off as he offered each small morsel, but in the end, she finally lay content after her frenzied binging, yawning and curling up within her wings.

_You're a good dad, you know._

_I am only doing what I feel I must..._

_What is wrong with you and compliments?_

_It is the least I can do._

_*sigh* Never mind..._

The odd couple watched her, finally sleeping peacefully while Goliathus cradled her in his scaly arms. Ami leaned into his tall and muscular form...finding his earthy outdoor scent (for he carried none of his own) strangely calming, even soothing.

_Geez I'm a weird human. You smell good to me. Is it possible, I was a heradus in a former life?_

Goliathus gave a small snort, which sounded more like a sneeze. _I certainly hope not. No one deserves such a life...not even a past one._

_But...Dinarius...he doesn't seem so miserable to me. Sure, he has to deal with that hunger too...but for you Gollie... you know yours is something far more extreme, and that even now, it still plagues you in a weakened form. Dinarius, he didn't suffer what you did, and so I figure he's more like what a heradus truly is like...especially considering his kind nature._

_If you were more like him, would you still think you were a creature no one else would want to be?_

The question caused him to consider, glancing at her from the corner of his eye as he held his child.

It took him a long time to answer.

_I told you my story...of how I was torn from all I knew to be a family because of what I was...because humans feared what they did not understand. Dinarius, it is the same for him, he may have been accepted by his creators, just as I was, but in the end, if the other humans had gotten hold of him, I am sure he would have been tortured as well. _He paused, looking hard at the little one still sleeping soundly in his arms. _This one...she can never have a normal life...she will grow up questioning why you are different then me, and will come home crying when a human sees her and flees in terror, or maybe even manages to harm her with a rock or even a gun...and she will wonder, 'Why did they do this to me?' And then, what will you or I say to that? We will only have the truth, there would be no point in covering it up, of my past, of the time I almost killed you like every other human I hunted...and of the suffering I endured. I can do nothing else but protect her...and God help me, if one should exist...I will protect her with all I have...but I cannot protect her from hurt...you know this, Ami, as you have seen it within me...I still hurt...even after so many hundreds of years._

Tears, something that were so extraordinary rare for such a stone wall of a creature managed to surface to his eyes, but he refused to let them fall. Still, Ami reached out to hold him, giving all that she could offer...

Her love.

End Chapter 14

/

_Aw. Hey, I enjoyed writing again for this story, finally! If it takes me another six months to write a chapter, you all have permission to grab your keyboards and bash me over the head with it._


	15. Chapter 15

THE GOLIALTHUS CHRONICLES

Chapter 15- Time and Time Again

/

Goliathus held his daughter close, as he perched atop the church's roof, surveying down below. Navi would occasionally imitate her father, tilting her head in various directions like a curious bird.

_There, child...there. Do you smell it? They look human, but they are not. _

Navi shifted, turning her head to the far left and staring at the form phasing in and out amongst the humans like a shadowy mist, never being seen.

_They have that smell...metallic like blood...but it is something far more foul, more potent...learn what that is, and despise it. Use your instincts to kill on them, and nothing else._

It didn't really matter whether or not Navius understood yet. Goliathus sent feelings to her mind, swamping her young and still naive being with what he hoped would turn into a hunger focused towards vampires.

Not humans.

_Never_ humans...

She growled, baring her little teeth at the form, which slowly phased out of sight altogether.

/

"I'm sorry, Ami, really I am...but...what point is there for me to stay here?"

Ami sighed, and stared right into those vivid blue eyes that always mesmerized her. "Dinarius, you can't go. I won't allow you to go!" The pout on the girl's face was much like a disappointed prom queen, causing the slender heradus to grin.

He came up to her side, slowly sitting down beside her. "Look, my one sole purpose is to kill vampires. It's what I do...it's my job. You know, a full-time deal."

Ami tried to pretend like she wasn't listening, scribbling in her notebook halfheartedly as she sat before the Atrium.

"I can always come visit...and often...but...just like Goliathus I'll go make my home in a cave somewhere...secret and isolated...I protect humans, not scare them...if I can avoid it. It's just better that way."

"But...you can help Gollie out, much as he'd hate to admit it. You two could be like...working together...an awesome killing team!"

Dinarius huffed. "No, that we can't be. It should be that way, but _Gollie_ is a loner. He's not like your normal heradus, I'm sure you know that. I'd agree with you otherwise, if it were anyone else but him."

"But I..."  
"Look Ami I don't know what else to tell-"

"_Dinarius_, just listen to me. You're a good friend to me, a great friend in fact...and let's not forget you saved my life along with my child's. How can I ever repay you for that? Well, maybe I don't have anything worthy enough, but I can continue to offer that friendship...so much so that I refuse, and I mean **_refuse_** to let you go live off in isolation. You can stay here, in this Facility, as a friend and comrade...to _all_ of us. Even that grump Gollie."

"You don't understand though, he won't..."

"Please, Dinarius." She gave him the doe eyes, pleading. "_Please_. Stay here."

He sighed, scratching some of the fur on the back of his neck. "Where would I stay, really? Where? With Goliathus, in that Atrium? I think not."

"You don't need an Atrium, Dinarius. You can use something called a...room. Anything else you need, I can get for you. Including food."

The very word seemed to arouse a hunger from deep within. "Really?"

She smirked. "Yeah, really. An all-you-can-eat buffet. I guarantee it. It's how we keep Gollie sated, anyhow...he can go out and do his hunting thing, but if he ever truly needs to gorge himself, there's all he can eat right here. It's part of how we tamed him...or rather...got him under control."

He put a hand to his chin. "So let me get this straight, I get a room, anything I want, and all the food I can eat?"

"Yep. I mean, yes. Sure, if it must be that way. Anything to get you to stay,"

Ami's smirk only widened, as he seriously seemed to be contemplating it.

"Can I have one of those weird boxes that music comes from?"

"A stereo? Certainly." She folded her arms, grinning.

"And...the metal tube that produces water?"

"A shower? Yes."

"And a bed for Puvo?"  
The bat poked its nose from under his furry mane, giving a little yawn.

"You sure he needs a bed? You seem to suffice him just fine." She laughed.

"Well, believe me, he'd rather have a bed then me lying on him all night."

Ami giggled. "Dinarius, are you going to stay or not?"

He smiled, saying nothing for a long minute.

"Yeah...yeah I will. For now, anyway."

/

A shadowy form phased into solid view as it neared the large castle, once home to the now dead leader Donovan.

Marcus knew that he was now technically the leader, but, he hardly felt happy about it. All he wanted was to be far, far away from that wretched creature and the demon it reeked of. But where to go, where to hide?

There wasn't any hiding from the blasted heradus...and now there were two of them. No...there were three of them. Three of the damned things.

_Shit. This had to happen to me? I don't want to be leader of a cursed clan...being hunted like an animal every day of my existence._

Pushing open the front door, or what remained of it from the earlier intrusion by the heradus, Marcus searched his mind for a way to try and fight the creatures. There had to be something...everything had a weakness...but what was it? What could destroy a heradus?

He sat on the cold marble floor and thought hard. He thought of everything the vampires had used in the past to try and battle them.

He thought of Donovan's failures...how he had been SO certain he could deal with Goliathus and yet in the end had been destroyed.

Of course, it was the demon that really killed him.

_The demon...it's the only way...but how do I use it against him without risking my own hide?_

_I've got to think of a way, I've got to...or our whole clan will be wiped out._

_/_

Ami couldn't believe what was happening. One moment, she was showing Dinarius his new room (a rather large one to give him adequate space), and the next, she was up against the wall with him pressed against her, holding her there.

But there was no malice in his eyes, only an incredible longing.

"If you didn't like the room, you could have just told me." She grinned helplessly.

He slowly let her go, wordlessly, as he turned and flopped down on the bed.

"Look I said you could have a room, food, all the comforts of home, but wild sex isn't part of the package, okay?"

"I'm sorry...I...damn. This is one reason I really shouldn't stay here." He sighed, leaning against a pillow and shutting his eyes.

"It's a tempting thought, however." She winked, sitting at the edge of the bed and patting his shoulder. "I like you a lot Dinarius, really I do. Don't feel bad about the fact that we have mutual feelings for each other."  
"Mutual feelings?"  
"Yeah, you do like me, I take it."

"Obviously."  
She leaned down, lying on his chest in a sort of hug. "I really do want you to stay. But not for the wrong reasons, trust me. Besides, if I ever left Gollie, I think he'd go on a rampage. I'm not that stupid."

Dinarius sighed, refusing to succumb to the temptation to run one of his clawed hands through her long brown hair.

"It's just...a human with your attitude is a rare thing, Ami. I've had a lonely life, and a thousand years lost to an underground slumber...in fact the world is so different now that I'll admit...I'm a little fearful of it. I don't know where I am, like I'm in some foreign dimension."

"Huh..." She lifted her head, nodding slightly. "I know that feeling. Everything feels so foreign to me too...I've been exposed and made known to more things that I think any human ever will...strange things Dinarius, including falling in love with one of your kind and having a hybrid child. I think that's foreign enough. You and me, we're not so different."

"No, we're not." _Which is why it's so easy to want you...like this..._

Ami slowly removed herself from his chest, getting up and walking towards the door. She turned before she walked out, giving him another smile,

"Enjoy your stay here."

/

End of Chapter 15.

_Short, short chapter, I know. But it's better then nothing. Next we'll try something new...I'll continue with the storyline, but I want to hear from the readers what they would like to happen between Ami/Dinarius. I could go in either direction, but I think it would be fun to take on a "fan challenge", so to speak. To be honest, I'm really not sure where I'm going with it yet._

But be forewarned...any liasons between the two just may lead to some seriously unpredictable events...


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16- Writer's Block!

A note to my readers...

_I never wanted so much time to pass for this story. I had some failed attempts at writing Chapter 16, but more recently some ideas have creeped slowly back into my head._

_I don't know why it's been difficult to start writing again. Truth be told, I really don't have to sit here and explain myself to anybody, but I thought since I had such great "fans" of my writing, I'd try to give them some kind of update...so at least you know I haven't dropped dead or anything._

_I do aim to continue this story. But at the same time, I won't put out a chapter until I'm satisfied with it. Rushing to write something, even if it HAS been a freaking whole year since I last updated...just isn't any good._

_Goliathus has been visiting my head lately, showing me some stuff I could write about. ::chuckle::_

_I'll see if all my lovely little heradus muses come back to grace me with their presence. I've missed them. I want to get back to the Goliathus Chronicles. That IS my favorite story and I still feel it's the best thing I've managed to write in all my 29 years of life._

_Okay, enough babbling from me. To conclude, please don't give up on me. I'll be back. And so will Goliathus._


	17. Chapter 17

THE GOLIATHUS CHRONICLES

Chapter 17- Carnal

_This chapter continues about six months from the last one. Navi should be around a year old at this point. If there are some loopholes in the plot...I apologize. I've just had a strike of inspiration out of nowhere and I need to get it written down before it leaves my brain as fast as it got there._

/

Dinarius sighed, curled up on his bed at his blank wall. There were no windows in this room, obviously there were reasons behind that, since the Facility was a very secretive place. But still, he couldn't help but feel how much like a prison it was. Even if he _was_ free to come and go. Why was he staying here anyway? Oh yeah...of course. For the sake of that human female. That human female he was attracted to...every time he saw her he felt his loins twitch...it was starting to annoy him. He had to do his "job" and hunt vampires, not lie there on his bed, wondering why he just couldn't pounce on her and make wild love to her...hell, why not act like a wild animal sometimes? It was fun. Why couldn't they just have fun together and toss out all morals or worries?

Eh, shit. This was getting him nowhere, being here. He had to get out, go back to his cave. At least for the night. But first things first, he had to tend to his demanding stomach before anything else.

Getting up and making it a purposeful point to stretch out slowly, Dinarius shook his wings a bit before finally setting to his clawed feet and making his way out of the room. He slowly meandered down the hallway, using his nose to sniff his way right to the kitchen. One thing he DID like...the never-ending supply of meat, whenever he wanted. As he got closer to the kitchen, he paused a minute, looking around as if half-expecting to see someone in there. When he was sure there was no one around and that he had just been hearing things, he opened the huge walk-in freezer door and found several delicious choices...anything from kidneys to huge cow livers.

A virtuous feast for any heradus.

Of course, the meat was very cold, he would have to heat it up first, which was always a nuisance, especially when one was ravenously hungry. Which was another annoying thing...having a hunger which could spring up at any moment. Perhaps that was why he kept having such lecherous thoughts...sex _was_ one way to feed his hunger pangs in a whole different manner. Even if it was only painfully fleeting at best.

Choosing some of those large cow livers and a few hearts, Dinarius lit up one of the gas ranges and put a pot down with a small amount of water in it. Then he simply waited impatiently for it be heated up enough for consumption.

Again, he heard something. Or did he? Christ having such sharp hearing was also getting on his nerves. He was probably hearing some damned mouse in the walls or even just creaking caused by the howling wind outside. His thoughts were distracted as he could smell the meat's tempting odors. It was nearly warmed through, he turned up the dancing blue flame beneath the pot in his impatience, hoping to get the task done faster.

_SNAP_

The sound caused Dinarius to spin around. He growled, his heradus instincts telling him something WAS amiss. Sniffing long and deep he tried to push aside the odor of the warming meat in the pot and catch the scent of whatever he knew must be sneaking around. He could feel the white hairs of his long, luxurious mane standing on end on the back of his neck. His eyes narrowed into slits. There was a metallic tang in the air. He knew that scent...and he knew it well.

/

Navi fidgeted uncomfortably at being placed on such a cold surface. Sitting up she shook as a shiver wracked her little body, then wrapped her small wings tightly around her. Looking up at a huge, hulking figure mere inches from her, she made a little snort of disgust. "Dada." She said simply.

The other figure was clearly like her, but much larger, and the talons on his feet were huge and jet black. He tapped them slightly in his growing anxiousness, as he stared at a figure below, oblivious to their presence.

"Dada!"

_Navi, hush. Wait._

Another shiver wracked her body. But rather than cry like perhaps any other infant would, Navi bristled and snapped her wings together, making a loud, sharp sound that startled even the figure next to her, even though the winds from their somewhat high perch drowned it from being heard below.

Goliathus sighed...this was daughter all right. There wasn't an ounce of patience in her.

"Hungee."

_Hm?_

"Hungee."

Why his child spoke (and remarkably early, as he had learned) and did not communicate with mind-speech, he wasn't sure. She was capable of it, he was pretty certain of that...but she seemed to prefer this pointless talking business. Ah well. She was speaking quietly, at least. Too quiet for the figure below to hear.

_I know. Just wait. I shall feed you soon._

His eyes riveted once again to the moving shadowy figure, which now seemed to have a purpose for its lingering in that spot...a human female was walking down the street, unaware she was being watched. The figure moved with lightening speed at that moment, it's attack set.

Goliathus had no more time to waste, lest the human be killed. For one moment the sensation of worry still puzzled him. He really shouldn't care about the human...she was only a good distraction while he set his sights on the blood-sucker. But he knew he had to start caring if he wanted to truly change, and anyway...she _was_ a woman.

There was a large swooshing sound as Goliathus leapt off the precipice he had been crouching on. Navi followed him with her cat-like orbs, glowing blue in the moonlight. Her stomach growled. This was common practice now. Daddy hunted...and daddy fed her first. Her tiny growl like that of a kitten was almost laughable, but it still conveyed a somewhat sinister message. Hunger.

The ever-present hunger ruled her as it did her father.

There was a loud shriek, a terrible scream, and the sound of breaking bones piercing the night air.

The tiny infant heradus perched upon the rock made a delighted squeal of glee.

In barely another minute he was back, blood smeared thick on his talons as he clutched some still very warm organs and body parts in his clawed hands, while below there was the distinct smell of fire as what remained of the vampire quickly burned away.

The woman, she had never seen what had happened. Thinking she had heard something behind her, she turned and saw something smoking on the ground. Raw fear paralyzed her for one moment before she took off running, not bothering to look back again. Whatever it was that just happened, she didn't want to know.

Golathius was tempted to start gorging himself on his prize right away, when he heard a shrill sound of protest. Quickly his parental instincts kicked in and he put all the pieces down which made a wet, squishing sound as they hit the cold stone.

_Go on then._

Navi got onto all fours and crawled over. She was capable of walking already, but still didn't have good balance, so crawling was still the best choice. Looking down at the bloody meat before her her face scrunched up into what seemed like frustration. She sat back down, looking up to meet her father's eyes with a pout.

_No. You must do this. No more babying for you._

She wailed.

Goliathus huffed, ignoring her. Tough love was a bit of an understatement. There would be no coddling, no making things either. She could not be spoiled...or her potential of becoming an efficient killer would be ruined.

"Hungee!"

_Then eat. It's right there._

Navius shifted her moist eyes back down, poking at it with one little taloned foot. She attempted to pick up a piece and chew on it, but the toughness of the meat made it quite hard to get a piece off, especially with her still-weak jaw muscles. Again, she wailed.

Goliathus continued to ignore that, but as much as his own stomach growled in extreme protest, he waited.

_You almost had it before. Think._

Clearly she was irritated, and she emphasized that point by giving him a sour look...but then, she stared down with a new, intent gaze at her own talons. When she had poked the meat before, they had sliced right through it like a knife through butter. She did this again, poking at the flesh with her feet. A small piece was sawed right and she gobbled it down greedily.

_There, see? _

It was then that Navius went from a seemingly innocent little infant of barely a year to a something akin to a ravenous wolf cub. Using her feet she quickly started shredding the meat and swallowing the pieces down almost as fast as her father could.

Satisfied, Goliathus began making short work of his own share.

In the back of his mind, he couldn't help but feel a smug sense of pride in her.

/

Gazing up from her journal, Ami looked at the clock hanging above her on the wall. It read 1:10 am, and as if in response from the late hour she gave a deep, lingering yawn. Tired of scribbling notes in her journal, she finally gave in and quit, getting up to reach into a desk drawer and put it away. It was at that moment she smelled the scent of cooking meat...or burning meat for that matter.

Quickly, she headed into the kitchen to find out what was going on. As she rounded the corner and darted into the room, she saw Dinarius perched on the large and wooden butchering table, crouched like a cat and with his talons digging in to the wood. He was looking around with more than an anxious look on his face.

Ami raised an eyebrow and quietly called to him, she did look around cautiously herself, but as far as she could tell, no one else was there.

Her soft voice calling to him seemed to break his concentration on the far window and he snapped his head to the side, staring.

He pounced...not like a cat upon a hapless field vole but rather like a huge lion leaping upon a gazelle.

Ami felt her body meet the ground hard, somehow her head managed not to break open as it hit the ground but she felt the immediate pain sear through her head, and her back wasn't too happy either.

"The hell! Dinarius, get off me!"

It took another minute, but finally the slender, lithe heradus realized what he had done. But he didn't move, instead his sapphire eyes conveyed all the apologies far more than any words could ever hope to do. He fought to say something anyhow, he had probably scared the crap out of her regardless.

"Ah, shit. I'm sorry, Ami. I heard something and I could have _sworn_ I smelled a vampire..."

Ami's body froze as a bit of fear washed over her. "Really? Where?"

He sniffed the air deeply again...but oddly enough, the scent had vanished. If something _had_ been in the room, it was gone now.

He sighed, looking around several times, but no...nothing was there now.

"It's gone, whatever it was."

"Oh." Ami felt herself relax, albeit for the pain still throbbing in her head, though even that was slowly waning away. Thankfully, she had apparently not hit her head too hard. Although she was certain she may end up with a major headache in the morning.

Right now though, she caught herself staring back at Dinarius, who met his gaze with hers once more. He had seemed so animalistic in that one moment that he had pounced her, but it was as arousing as it was startling. She felt her own body starting to betray her, wanting him in a flush of lust that felt like the most wonderful heated feeling in the world. She knew this feeling, it had happened to her with Goliathus. It was carnal, it was intense...but it was so god-damned wonderful. And right now, she was seriously contemplating getting Dinarius to satisfy that lust for her. Even if she knew it could lead to disaster. The hell with him...he was so hot, so sexy...in his own strange way. His heavy weight on her only seemed to deepen that desire, she could feel his manhood inadvertently pressing in to her, sending shocks of sensation through her body. _Oh...damn._

Dinarius was instantly shifting from alarm to his own lust. He could smell her arousal, it came on strong, and he couldn't help but breathe it in like the most luscious, tantalizing scent he had ever known. Oh yes, he was hungry. Hungry to taste every inch of her body and absorb every scent she cast. He felt himself growing harder by the second, the awareness of how close their bodies were was also settling into his conscious. Christ, if she didn't get away from him now, he was going to take her. Whether she wanted it or not.

Ami sighed, and she tried to move away, but it was an extremely halfhearted attempt. Dinarius growled because her movement had rubbed against his growing erection, he did try himself to get himself off of her, but he couldn't get himself to move.

They stared at each other for a moment. Ami's face fell, but it was hard to distinguish what she was feeling. She looked sad, but also desperate. And her eyes shined affection for him. Whatever barriers she had raised before, they were crashing down.

"You asshole."

The words stung, but somehow it was some sort of weird invitation.

Wasn't it?

Dinarius had no control at this point. Growling he effortlessly ripped off whatever clothes she had on. Ami had mumbled something then about that really being necessary (and "you ruined my new jeans, you ass") but he hardly paid any attention to it. In seconds his tongue was on her soft flesh and exploring every crook and fold of her skin. She gasped and writhed beneath him, but made no real effort to stop what was inevitably going to occur at this point. Her scent, gawd but her scent was so overpowering...he reached down low and began lapping at her, sucking in every drop of her juices.

Somehow, this was far more intense than it was with Goliathus and her body trembled all over...was it because it was "forbidden", in a sense? She thought of her precious Gollie and how she would explain this to him, but at the same time she could not help but thrust herself towards Dinarius' more than anxious tongue as he slid inside her, exploring every inch of her velvety warmth. Loudly she cried out, arching her back more and thrusting harder towards him as her arousal increased. He continued to tongue her in ways that would make even the most experienced lovers blush, and she could barely breathe as one powerful orgasm hit her after another.

If she thought that was all they were going to do in this session, however, she was wrong. Dinarius growled again and then finally lifted his head up, licking and sucking at her breasts before sliding his manhood quite easily into her. In the next moment he was pounding her hard...she cried out once more feeling another intense orgasm beginning to build. _Damn_, but how he could keep hitting all of her sweet spots, over and over again. Since they were on the floor, there was nothing she could grab onto, no pillows or blankets, so instead she resolved to reaching up and grabbing onto his arms. Her own carnal lusts greatly rising, she practically demanded through gritted teeth and panting breaths that he needed to be fucking her a lot harder than that.

The pace quickened and with another lingering growl in his throat Dinarius continued his relentless pounding until finally she came again, clamping hard onto him. Her tight waves pulsing around him quickly caused his own climax, as he filled her with his seed...hot and burning...Ami shuddered once more before finally becoming spent completely. Panting still, there were tears in her eyes as she felt him collapse on her in a moment of his own exhaustion.

There was silence then.

For a long while, neither of them moved.

/

With her little belly full, Navius reached up her arms to her daddy, returning from ravenous wolf cub to cute little infant. She was picked up tenderly, and though he tried hard not to coddle her, sometimes it was difficult to follow his own "rules". He purred happily as she nuzzled into his neck.

"Dada."

_Let's go, we'd better get back home. _

The hunting over for the time being, Goliathus spread his massive wings and took to the air, rising high into the sky to stay out of the view of any who may perchance be stargazing on this night. Navius squealed, she loved to be in the air with her father. She spread out her own little wings and flapped, as if trying to imitate his actions.

_Soon. You will soon enough._

She giggled, nuzzling into his neck again.

Goliathus sighed...she seemed so innocent. And in a lot of ways, she was. Though she had already watched him kill, and she had eaten the flesh of said victims...to her this was nothing but normal. She did not yet understand the implications of being what she was.

He hoped when the day came that he had to explain all of this to her, that she would understand.

And more than that, that she would forgive him.

/

End Chapter 17.

_Well, I gave up on another idea for now and am going with a different one. I had a sudden urge to write and when that happens, I don't fight it. So, just be glad I got a chapter out! I still have some ideas right at the top of my head, so I just might have the next chapter out within a couple of days, perhaps even tomorrow! I really hope you enjoyed this and about the sex scene well...heh...I was horny, ok? And everyone seemed to want those two to get together so I kinda let the viewers decide as I'd said I would. XD_


	18. Chapter 18

THE GOLIATHUS CHRONICLES

Chapter 18- Motives

/

It was finally the smell of burning meat that separated the two from each other. Dinarius mumbled something about "I better tend to that before I burn the place down.." before lifting himself off of her and heading back towards the kitchen. Ami watched him go for a moment then got up herself, brushing imaginary dust off herself as if to occupy her mind with something...something other than what just happened. She then went into her room quickly to get some new clothes on and throw out the ruined ones... it was none too soon either, for at that moment Goliathus returned, with Navius in tow, tucked under one powerful arm.

_There is now one less vampire in this world. _He sent the telepathic message as he landed on the top of the atrium's glass dome. Ami practically ran from her room and went to hit the switch which would open the roof and allow him back into his dwelling.

_Which is an excellent fact, mind you. How is Navi doing?_

_Heh...she has your stubbornness. But she learns quick._

_Yeah, I bet she gets that from her smart dad._

Goliathus grinned, and as he came down from the ceiling he set Navi on the sleeping ledge, allowing her to explore. Though she only mostly crawled she was still quite capable of climbing around and knew not to get too close to ledges.

Goliathus landed on the floor with an effortless leap, and as he neared the door out, he paused, taking a mixture of very fresh scents.

_Did...something burn?_

Ami nodded, trying to act as if nothing unusual occurred. _Yeah, dumb Dinarius over there went to warm some meat and forgot about it. Huh._

_Did something distract him?  
Yeah...he thought he smelled a vampire in here...but the scent left as quickly as it came. I think we had a visitor, and I'm not happy about it. _Ami frowned. She never did like how vampires could be so damned sneaky. Or that some knew the location of the Facility...

Goliathus growled, slightly baring his teeth. _Then I'll keep a close eye on things._

Ami noticed he was staring at her then, which caused her heart to skip a beat. Crap, he didn't already sense something else was amiss, did he?

Although it seemed he might say something else, he didn't. However the growing tension was making Ami really uncomfortable, so she was more than relieved when it was her daughter who saved the day.

"Momma!"  
She had somehow climbed all the way down to the bottom and was clinging to the door, peering out like a jailbird.

"Momma."  
"Yeah, I'm coming, cutie." Ami moved the door and picked her up, cuddling her close.

Navi squealed and pushed herself against her mother's neck, always seemingly delighted in close contact.

"Did you have a fun time with daddy?"

She nodded, but didn't budge from her rather comfy position. "Momma. Need bath."

Puzzled, Ami looked her over and sure enough...her feet and legs were caked in blood. Normally this might cause any other parent to scream, but for Ami, this was commonplace.

"Uhm...yeah. I'd say you do."

As Ami left quickly to go wash her, Goliathus followed her every move with an intense gaze. Even after she vanished from sight, he stared, until finally he turned his head, looking towards the kitchen.

He saw Dinarius there, eating the meat despite it having been burned.

Their gazes locked.

Eyes narrowing, Goliathus turned away, heading for his art ledge to soothe his nerves...something he always did when he felt angry.

/

From somewhere nearby, Marcus, the new leader of the Royal vampires, silently cursed himself for almost being spotted. No matter how hard he tried, somehow the heradus could always pick up his scent, even if only brief. He had yet to figure out a way to stop that from happening, but their keen noses were impossible to fool as far as he was concerned. Tossing that thought from his mind, he crawled down the large boulder that was near the Facility's back entrance. It wasn't safe to hang around for much longer, but he had already seen enough to realize he had discovered an advantage. The girl...there was obvious attraction between her and the other, smaller heradus.

How fun that would be, to use that against them. Somehow, he would get Goliathus so full of rage and jealousy that perhaps it would be enough to allow the demon to win again.

_Hmm...yes...plenty of plans to make._

On that thought, Marcus vanished into a wisp of grey smoke.

/

The painting was at last complete. Their had been so many distractions to delay it's unveiling...everything from vampire problems to dangerous, six-headed demons.

_Heh...make that four-headed..._

Goliathus couldn't help but smirk. The demon, with two heads gone, had less power now. The King heradus had lost his desires completely to feast on human flesh, which was a huge blow to his nemesis.

Clearing his head of thoughts on the demon, he stared at the painting again. Would Ami like it? He hoped so. Her birthday had passed a few months ago, she had turned twenty, but it still seemed fitting to give it to her, a "belated" present as the term went.

The artwork glittered and sparkled softly in the dim light. It was done in the same fashion as the giant dragon painting in his old cave (which he at times still visited), with small jewels of varying colors embedding lines and curves. Covering it up again for the time being, he left his easel, climbed down to the floor, and went to find her, to tell her it was finished.

Instead, he met Dinarius, who was walking down the same hall, and towards the same room. He was going to Ami as well.

_You..._

Dinarius turned, facing him. It seemed there was very little he could say at the moment, nothing clever that usually came from his mouth. His bat familiar, Puvo, was eerily silent, nestled close against the back of his master's neck.

The silence reigned for many tense-filled minutes.

Finally, Goliathus snorted loudly and he stared with icy coldness back at the other heradus, who flinched, just slightly, from that expression.

_You took her, didn't you? To engage with her as you did means nothing. I am her soul-mate. You are merely a younger, weaker heradus. You look like me to her. That is all._ Goliathus was making fists with his hands, and one clawed foot tapped dangerously on the stone floor.

Dinarius' eyes widened. Clearly he knew that the other was very intelligent, and his senses near perfection. But it surprised even him that he had deduced the whole situation so fast. Had he gathered all this information from mere scent alone? Perhaps if it had been more time between what had happened with Ami and Goliathus returning...he would not have picked up on it?

There was no point in lying about anything, he would have to come clean.

_Yes...that happened. And if that's what you want to believe, go ahead._

The grey, reptilian slits staring back at him widened, and the anger that shone within them was as a fire being set ablaze.

_You feel otherwise? Do tell me, I want to hear this. Tell me that I am wrong._

Huh, no, Dinarius would not tell him that at all. He wasn't stupid...though he was sure he could give the other a fair fight...he doubted he could win.

_Relax, Goliathus. That's not what I meant. I know you love her...and I know she loves you. To be honest, I think some of her affections are there...for me as well...but...I don't know if it's love. Not like with you. I know that._

A snarl broke the silence between them. _I should hurt you, and painfully. I could, you know. Truly, you are a fellow creature...but to take advantage of the one thing I care about most? Who ARE you, Dinarius? Who do you feel you are? I am King, and even if you are the only one of us left...save for my daughter now...you must learn your place. I will show you your place, if you are uncertain. Just give the word and I will teach you that lesson. _

Although Dinarus felt he was right, he also started to bristle with his own anger, the white hairs on his back standing on end. Did he deserve to be spoken to in that manner? And yet...Goliathus w_as_ the King...the leader... and if he no longer played the solo game, then those who followed him had to listen. It was the intention of the Dark Mages from the very beginning...to avoid chaos, and have some kind of control...especially over the more primal, wild heradus that once existed. Still...memories of playing leader while Goliathus was out of the picture haunted his mind. He was a leader once...and so therefore being submissive was really not his thing...but still...

Still...

_I...I am sorry._

He wanted to say more. He wanted to snap back and defend his pride, but he knew that it was not the time...nor the place...it would have to wait. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to resume control.

_Yes...sorry...I am sure you are. I will pretend it did not happen, or that it was a weak moment, ruled by lust. In fact, I am sure that it was just that. I have had many such moments of weakness myself. I mean not to sound as if I am far superior...it is really not about superiority, but the role I was given. I failed to fulfill that role once, so now I am trying to do what my father originally intended. So...that being said...if I know my place, then please, know yours._

Dinarius nodded. His anger was fading, but he couldn't help feel a lingering ache in his heart when he heard the next words in his mind.

_Do not touch her again. I swear, if you do...I will let you feel all of my own anguish as pain upon yourself. Do not test me...I am fragile in mind. I cannot bear to be tested on this. Do you understand? Tell me you do, for you have the choice to either be my friend and fellow heradus...or my enemy. And very few...in fact none...have ever survived as my enemy._

Puvo made a small, pitiful keening sound.

_I understand, Puvo. I will not harm him, so long as he promises me this._

Dinarius was so mixed with emotions he trembled. He didn't want to forget about Ami, how wonderful she felt, how intense that love-making had been. But when Goliathus growled, catching his thought, he forced it away, and nodded. There was a fierce look of determination in his eyes.

_I will promise this. _

If Goliathus took the time, he may have read even more pages of what was trying to be expressed in the other's gaze, but there was no more he wanted to talk about on the subject. He quickly brushed by Dinarius, and headed for Ami's room.

/

When Ami saw the painting, there were tears that fell from her eyes. The many layers of emotion that it expressed, complicated emotions, was a thing of beauty in itself. No human could draw like this, could possibly express what Goliathus could when he really set his incredible mind to it. In this painting, the sky was full of heradus, some clearly drawn and detailed in full form, such as Goliathus, and his daughter ( who interestingly enough, he had drawn in an adult form), and others just silhouettes against the ghostly moonlight. He had used jewels to accent them, as if he wanted the heradus to be able to produce light...a glimmer of positive air...other than just darkness that seemed to surround them. Navi herself was lined with tiny, blue sparkling jewels...the moon accented in clear ones...the stars, more diamonds...but below, this is where the emotion reigned. The humans, many of them, were looking up, and they did not seem afraid. There was no killing of these humans, in fact, it seemed like some kind of peaceful meeting.

A meeting that did not happen, and was never meant to. Though it was only a true fantasy...a fleeting moment of imagination, Ami saw the message Goliathus tried to convey.

The humans were in a rough sort of circle. And in the middle of it all, was Ami, looking at the heradus as the others were. Her hands were held up high in the air, as if trying to embrace them all.

Acceptance. Light. Understanding.

The painting held powerful meaning. Ami thanked him, of course she did, but words were really not enough to express anything about this work of art. Ami framed it, and had it hung right above the Atrium entrance.

It seemed the perfect place to put it.

/

Dinarius felt miserable as he glided through the night air. He wasn't really on the hunt, he just needed time to get away. How could he have been so stupid? Realizing the gravity of the situation, he sighed, shaking his head. All he had proven to himself and Ami by allowing himself to lose control was that he was weak, and just like Goliathus said, he had taken advantage of her. Or at least that's what he believed. Perhaps secretly he hoped Ami could love him too, but he knew how horribly selfish that was.

He had no right to just butt into their relationship.

He reached up, pulling at his hair.

Even if that was all true... then why was it so hard to just let it go?

Swooping down to the ground, Dinarius landed by a clear, cold stream and took a long drink.

While he satisfied his thirst, he heard something again. Was that a quickly fading chuckle he heard or the wind?

He listened for another several long moments, but nothing...

_Oh great. I AM losing my mind, aren't I? First the kitchen, and now this._

Puvo screeched. Apparently, he didn't agree.

_Puvo?_

The bat swiveled its ears, Dinarius felt him scrambling from behind his neck, and leap off, taking into the air.

_Hey, where are you going?_

Quickly, he followed. What was that bat up to?

/

Marcus flew fast, trying hard to suppress another chuckle. Heh, this would almost be too easy, wouldn't it? Using Dinarius to cause jealousy was an idea that seemed to fade fast...especially after he learned that Goliathus had been more understanding about the whole thing then he ever thought he would be.

But had a new idea now.

Dinarius himself.

Oh yes, this was such a great idea. He once again tried hard to fight the laughter that threatened to erupt from his throat.

Maybe there was no Creeper anymore. But there could be a new one.

The bat? A perfect distraction. He knew the high pitched sonar noises would drive the bat insane...and that his master probably wouldn't detect it.

Even if he did, it didn't matter. He was just a lure.

He would turn Dinarius, oh yes he would. And with that new problem on their hands to try and deal with, he would find a way to renew the demon's waning strength. Perhaps Goliathus _would_ get it to leave.

If that was the case, then Marcus would need to find it a new host.

The perfect host was right behind him.

/

End Chapter 18.

_Ah, the twists. Don't forget how I told you about those. HA HA, I am evil, yes I am. Another cliffhanger._

_I'm pissed though, because my muses are being choppy and hard to read. I am having such difficulty with writing whereas before the ideas were more flowing. Well, I hope you enjoyed it anyway and THANKS SO MUCH for my faithful readers who are sill reviewing after all this time!_


	19. Chapter 19

THE GOLIATHUS CHRONICLES

Chapter 19- Willpower

_Please forgive the angst, Goliathus brings it out of me. I also had a hard time writing this chapter so if it's not my greatest storytelling I apologize._

/

Ami stepped lightly into the Atrium, following the sounds of raspy breathing up towards the high art ledge. Carefully, she made sure not to make any loud noises and startle the heradus, this always annoyed him and soured his mood. Right now, she wanted to do anything but ruin his mood further.

She had a lot of apologizing and explaining to do, and for once in her life, she felt like a truly worthless human being. Never, never, had she thought she would ever fall to the temptation she had...to betray the one she loved...not her Gollie...

Finally climbing to the top via the ladders, Ami hesitantly moved next to him as he sat, scratching with a pencil as usual, and completely absorbed in his work. She sank onto the bench next to him, lying her head on his shoulder.

He huffed.

_Do you want something?_

Ami fought the tears. She had to be stronger than this.

_Yes, I do._

_Then what is it? Can you not see I am busy?_

_Goliathus..._

He turned to her, his fierce and intense eyes boring right through her own.

_That IS my name._

_I realize that...you know what happened. You have to. I can just feel it emanating from you...we can sense each other's emotions anyway...and...I need to-_

Goliathus stood, suddenly abandoning his work. He spread out his wings and leapt in a sort of half-flap to the highest possible ledge...the Observatory where scientists used to watch him.

Ami sat staring at the pencil on the easel for a long while before finally getting up and making her way upwards once more. When she got there, she noticed he was pacing.

_Where is Navi?_

_She's sleeping._

_Hm. Good. She needs to rest. Tomorrow I plan to take her out again, to see more of the vampires._

_I...agree._

_Good. I see this won't be hard._

_Why should it be? More of her time needs to be with her father. I realize she can never blend in with humans. She looks too much like you. _Ami couldn't help the slight smirk that spread across her face, even among all her more ashamed feelings. _Which I happen to think is a wonderful thing._

Once again she was locked with his gaze, as he seemed to be reading her thoughts carefully, though his expression seemed to have softened slightly.

_What is that you want to say, Ami?_

Ami sighed, clenching her hands and struggling with her inner battles as she shifted her eyes to the ground. _That I'm sorry...I...I don't know what the hell came over me. I know I've always liked Dinarius, but...Goliathus, I..._

He simply stared, waiting for her to finish.

_I love you so much that...this breaks me...like part of me is dying inside...I can't forgive myself, but I'm hoping that you can..because..._

_Please..._

She paused, looking up at him and blinking through tears.

_With all the sins that I have committed, you are here, begging for __**my**__ forgiveness? Such a thing I cannot bear...I am upset, but I do realize one thing. For you to even say "I love you so much" is completely foreign to your kind, do you know this? What human besides perhaps my own mother has ever cared for me so? I do not even know this strength of love that you speak of. Is there a difference between this kind of love, does it have levels? It is all the same to me. I must forgive you, Ami, because you have forgiven me, and more than once. You have overlooked or made justification for all the evils I have committed over so many countless years. _

He came closer, and grabbed her into a tight, almost possessive hug.

_Mine. My love. I know this. No one else. You simply allowed one of your own weaknesses to overcome you. That is all. I will let this pass, like a bad memory. But perhaps it is Dinarius you should question. What is his purpose for staying here? He can do as he has suggested before, and live outside. I have plenty of old homes, he can stay in one of them should he choose. But he stays here, and it is because of you, and because you invited him to stay here. Perhaps you should rethink that idea?_

She nodded, smiling at him.

_Yes, yes you are right...I'll talk to him about it. I will._

_Then, we are past this._

_Yes... I suppose we are. _

Letting go, Ami made her way to the ladders, to climb back down, but Goliathus stopped her.

_Come fly with me._

_Hm? But where are we going?_

He grinned wide. _I know a certain large boulder near a lake..._

_/  
_

Dinarius' wings were tiring, he had been flying for what seemed like forever, chasing after his seemingly gone-mad bat familiar who had taken off like a shot for no reason.

"Where in the world did he get off to, I can't even see him anymore..." Even though his eyes were incredibly keen in the dark blankets of night, the bat had seemingly disappeared. His scent was gone as well.

"Ah Puvo, I hope you didn't go and get into serious trouble."

_CAWWWWWWWWWW!_

The heradus yelled out at the loud explosion in his head, nearly stumbling enough in his flight to fall to the ground.

"The hell...?"

Whipping around in a fast pivot, Dinarius nearly took off the head of the raven with his wingtip.

_You damned bird, why do insist on causing every one you meet to get a migraine?_

_Caw. _The bird lowered its head.

_Yeah...that's more like it. Now, why are you following me?_

_Help. Puvo. Find!_

_Oh, you want to help me find him, huh? Well that could be useful...do you see him anywhere?_

The raven clicked its thick bill and shook its head.

_Well...then fly on just ahead and look around, would you? I'm a bit concerned...something isn't right. Puvo just wouldn't take off and leave me like that._

_Caawww...will do! Will do!_

Starcrow took off like a bullet, getting far ahead until Dinarius could only see him as small black speck.

_Stupid bird...not THAT far ahead..._

Surging forward, Dinarius sighed and only hoped that he would find the bat soon. He was getting awfully hungry from all this flying.

/

Ami lie on the boulder, gazing up at the crescent moon as it gave off a pale glow, dancing off the gently swaying trees in the night air. _I truly love it out here...Gollie I still envy you. You and your freedom._

The one she spoke to had been gazing intently at the nearby water, standing on the lake's shore. His head snapped back and forth like cat watching a mouse.

_Freedom? You consider my existence freedom? _He stated without turning to her.

_You know what I refer to. Just the whole freedom of flying._

Goliathus dove one clawed hand into the water with incredible speed.

_But you can come fly with me at any time._

_Well yes, and that's quite fun, but...it's not the same...sometimes I wish I could fly too, on my own. I can even picture it in my mind, so clear and vivid, like I had done it before..._

As his fist came up, a furiously flapping fish was trapped, blood seeping from the claws that were punctured into its sides. Goliathus shoved the fish into this mouth, biting down on the head.

Finally Ami turned, looking back at him.

_Whatcha doin anyway?_

He turned towards her, grinning as usual. _Having a little snack._

_You eat fish? _She raised an eyebrow at him.

_Why not? I tried a squirrel the other day too._

Ami giggled, shaking her head. _But why? When there are such larger animals around?_

He thought on it, causing a long moment of silence between them.

_My hunger seems...worse..._

Ami's expression fell, but he continued.

_...and yet...different. With all desire to eat humans gone, I have bigger cravings. Animals seem to...satisfy the hunger, but more slowly._

Ami watched as he went to try and snatch another fish.

_I see...that's...well...it's a rather unexpected twist. I just hope it doesn't make things harder for you._

Unsure on how to deal with this tidbit of information, Ami slowly slid her body off the rock and went over to him, standing by his side as she admired the reflection of the moon's light on the water.

_What about the vampires?_

_I have been finding very few lately. I believe they are all in hiding, trying to avoid me now._

He chuckled, a raspy series of sounds that sent shivers down Ami's spine in a twinge of fear.

_I love playing hide and seek. I will find them, wherever they hide._

"I know you will..." Ami whispered, her fear turning into a sense of admiration and wonder that she could hardly ever hope to describe to anyone. There were several long moments of silence as Goliathus seemed to contemplate fishing again. Ami, however, reached out to caress his wingtip, running her fingers gently over the sharp claw. He growled a bit louder, and she pulled her hand away quickly.

He turned to her, moving very close and breathing in deep. _It is __**that**__...that slight fear...within you...that excites me so..._

Ami shivered, but she wasn't sure if it was just the cool wind that seemed to pick up at that moment.

A small part of her wanted to back away from him, but she held fast.

Moving closer to her still a low, purring growl came from deep within his chest as he seemed to grow anxious, moving a clawed hand down to explore the wetness that was starting to form between her legs.

_One thing is for certain, isn't it Goliathus? I certainly can't hide anything from you. _She grinned slightly, nuzzling into his neck. He moved suddenly in an almost violent jerk, pressing her back up against the boulder and holding her there. Ami only closed her eyes, knowing he had no intentions of harming her. This was just primal lust at its finest.

She started to moan loudly as he immediately went to the irresistible scent that drove him to near sexual madness, relentlessly tasting her over and over again.

Only able to writhe helplessly as the pleasure overwhelmed her, she bit her lip, drawing a small amount of blood as the first wave of orgasm struck.

As he came up suddenly, still growling and talons digging into the ground beneath as he plunged himself into her waiting depths, a strange familiarity came over her. Not something she could describe exactly, but the last time she was this incredibly sensitive was...

_Ahh...oh gods...ohhh...yes..._

Ami's body shuddered almost uncontrollably as he pounded into her, the action causing her backside to slap against the boulder and sting, but she hardly cared as another building orgasm reeled her senses.

Golaithus was absolutely intense, possessing her...completely owning her in this moment. When several minutes later he finally went rigid, howling and releasing deep within her, Ami, in the back of her mind, remembered what that familiarity was.

The last time this happened like this...she got pregnant.

/

End Chapter 19.

_Not a very long chappie, I know. And not a lot of action either, but don't worry, there's plenty of that ahead. And 72 reviews on this story so far! ;-; Thank you!_


	20. Chapter 20

THE GOLIATHUS CHRONICLES

Chapter 20- Solar Rising

/

Almost five months had passed since Dinarius had disappeared.

Five long months.

The thought lingered heavily in Ami's mind as she sat in the medic room, wincing as each contraction hit. Having to deal with pain was becoming a common event, and after what she had to deal with in the past...peh...these labor pains were nothing.

"Unngghh!"

Well, maybe not _nothing..._

_I feel almost helpless right now. A very foreign sensation._

Goliathus sat to her right side, turning a hand-made dagger in his hands and worrying the little cracks and crevices in his own design with the tips of his sharp claws. Occasionally, a slight muscle spasm twitched through his shoulder as if emphasizing his restrained anxiousness.

Ami reached up her sweaty hand to stroke the side of his face, before suppressing another grunt as another intense wave of pain spread across her swollen abdomen.

_You don't have to do anything, love. Simply being here is all I need._

She smiled, but the lingering thoughts of Dinarius still haunted her, causing her warm smile to fade quickly.

The heradus picked up on it, but he didn't mention it. He would never admit to being worried about that one, especially after the little tryst he had ended up having with Ami not too long ago...but at the same time, he felt pride. That new child, ready now to leave the womb, was his, and he knew it.

He also knew it was male by sent alone, but he chose not to tell her.

Something about not knowing the gender until the moment of birth seemed to excite some human mothers. Humans were very weird, after all, but this one he could do anything for...whatever it took to make her happy.

That sensation...was not so foreign anymore.

_This is more like I had wished it was with Navius... _Ami sighed, the regret evident in her pained thoughts.

Goliathus gave an angry snort as the memory invaded his mind, unwanted.

_I will still make sure those Shadow Vampires become extinct. Even if it takes me another thousand years._

Ami lifted her eyes towards him solemnly, as he stared on ahead, lost in this thoughts like he always was. In many ways, looking at him made her happy, knowing he would be around forever, or at least she assumed so. But she was also sad, because she knew humans lived relatively short lives. How would Goliathus do mentally without her? He was so hard to overcome, in so many ways. Her years with him in therapy were only the beginning.

Far from cured...he was far from a cured mind.

He was re-trained perhaps...and far kinder than he could ever be...in fact the word was almost laughable just a few short years ago...but that hideous evil still remained within him, didn't it? Ami wasn't sure how losing heads would affect the demon at all, could it just regrow them? She realized in some ways that this battle with his inner evils might never die. They would just have to fight them on and on...and when she died, he would be alone again to fight them.

He would have no reason to fight anymore.

Ami silently cursed to herself the moment Goliathus shifted his attention to her, eyes gazing intently. Rambling on in her thoughts and worries was never a good thing when in his close vicinity. He was just too strong a telepath.

But to her thoughts, he said nothing. He chose not to allow her to read anything that was crossing over in his own mind. Instead, he put a clawed hand delicately on her belly then leaned down to inhale deeply. He rumbled deep in his chest, almost as if purring.

Smiling, Ami put a hand on top of his, enjoying the brief rest from the contractions and just living the moment.

For in a moment, everything can change.

/

Every day was the same, waking in and out of blackness. The passage of time was unknown and impossible to follow, just the pain of straining one's eyes to open, blinding light, and more blackness. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the light turned into shapes, forms...objects. It was not oblivion, it was a room, metal...wood...food?

Smells of...meat...

A thin and frail figure stood up shakily to its feet, long white hairs covering his eyes. Pushing them away weakly, eyes transfixed upon the source of the smell. Wonderful...fresh...intoxicating...raw...taking small, heavy-laden steps, Dinarius inched his way towards what looked like a crude trough made of rickety wood, and stuffed to the brim with raw slabs of meat, covered in what seemed like gallons of blood.

Pausing, the heradus took a deep breath, but his sense of smell was somewhat clouded from his weakened state. He could not remember anything since...since when? All he could focus on was the mouth-watering sight in front of him.

And yet...something seemed very wrong about it. He couldn't figure it out, but it was there, and he tried to swat it away, frustrated.

Hungry...he was just so hungry...just as he reached the trough, dropping to his knees and putting one stick-thin arm into the blood to pull out a chunk of the meat, he saw a little carcass to his side, on the stone floor. It looked like a little bird...or some kind of bat. He felt a faint pain in his heart.

Why did that matter again? He had seen it before, that little carcass. It was mainly just bones now, with a few scraps of hide here and there, tiny pieces strewn about. What was so important about it? Had to be something.

Drawing his attention away from it, he shoved the piece of juicy goodness into his maw and swallowed whole. A different taste, but it was good nonetheless.

The rest disappeared quickly as more of the blood sploshed over the sides and onto the floor, causing a thick and heady sent to only fill the room's atmosphere more deeply.

/

Goliathus stared in wonder at the new life which had emerged into the world. Almost hidden within the folds of small and underdeveloped wings was a face that looked much like his. In fact...almost exactly like his. The body was the same grey color, only lighter. It was the eyes that really got his attention, however. They were an orange and yellow combination that he had never seen the likes of before, even with all of his kind that he could remember.

_Have you ever seen eyes like that in the human world?_

_No, they're gorgeous! Simply amazing! _Ami smiled, despite the fact she was soaked in sweat, extremely weary, and very sore in her nether-regions. As she had requested, very few people had come into the room, only Julie to help out when needed, as she did have some nursing skills. Since her first birthing experience had gone horribly, she was going to make sure this one was far different.

And she had succeeded. Still beaming, she took the child gently from Goliathus and cuddled him against her chest.

_A boy.._

_I already have a name for him._

_You do?_

_Surely. His eyes made me think of it. Solarus._

Ami nodded, she definitely approved.

_He's just beautiful, Goliathus. Just beautiful...I'm the happiest person alive right now._

Figuring out Ami's way of thinking was still a shock to the heradus, but he smiled his rare toothy smile, and nuzzled against her neck.

_I will leave you two alone to bond for a while. But I will not dare go far. If you need me , just call out. _He paused, then turned to face her just as he almost walked out the door. _Is there anything to eat in the kitchen?_

Ami laughed suddenly. _I have no doubt your son will have just as voracious an appetite as you. The joys of motherhood...and when he's a teenager? The whole expression of being "eaten out of house and home" will have a whole new meaning...especially with the two of you living here!_

Goliathus gave a raspy chuckle, and left it at that, his gait nearly silent as he strode down the hallway with his long duster trailing behind him.

Sighing, Ami took another good look at the mesmerizing colors of her newborn son's eyes.

_Like the colors of the rising sun...perfect. Solarus._

The infant gazed sleepily up at his mother, giving a tiny yawn around the nipple before closing them completely.

_So cute now...but..._

The future. What would the future hold? As much as Ami wanted to be nothing but happy and believe everything would just be wonderful...part of her knew...the struggle would only get harder. Dinarius was gone, and something just did not feel right.

/

Amana. The name never left him, it was something he could never forget. The cute little girl with her perfect strawberry-blonde pigtails and her deep blue eyes, set into her angelic face.

"Watch over my daughter, Dinarius. I'm entrusting her to you. I have no one else to turn to."

"I understand master. Please do not worry over it...I will watch over her. No one will harm this child as long as I exist."

A satisfied nod of raven-black hair, a spark of trust in eyes almost as blue as hers, and the master of Dark Mages, left the room.

Only a couple of months later, the vampire leader Donovan had her, killed her...skinned her alive...

_Maniel...I failed you...I failed __**her**__...Amana..._

_Amana..._

He awoke again, nearly screaming in madness from the memory which had been repeated to him over and over and over mercilessly like a skipping record.

He found himself lying on a pool of warm blood, and looking up, he saw the trough was now nearly empty. And yet...the hunger still remained, pulling and tearing at his conscious without mercy. The hunger roiling, controlling...someone else spoke of this to him. Warned of this to him.

Someone? He knew who that someone was...but the name eluded him.

Why in the hell were all his memories gone? They were there buried in the back of his mind, but he couldn't focus on them...he realized something was unnaturally holding them back. He snarled, fighting against it, but he was so hungry... _so hungry..._

A large clack, the sound of sliding metal, and through his hazy vision he saw a figure enter into his prison, completely hidden behind tendrils of black robes. More meat and gallons of blood were poured into the trough, filling it up again, and the figure left as quickly as it had come.

This was a familiar ritual...too familiar...and the scents were all wrong.

They were _so_ wrong, and yet he was helpless against the one demanding and primitive sensation that ruled over him.

_To eat..._

/

The easel remained blank, and Goliathus had stared at it for hours. He had felt compelled to draw something to herald the arrival of his newly born son, but his hand would not move. He had been drawn away by the sudden realization that the demon had been incredibly quiet and the very feeling of it had left him in an instant.

It was a strange sort of emptiness...and he had not even taken the time to realize the full impact of what this might mean until in that moment, as if staring at that blank, white square had shown him what truly lie inside his mind.

Nothing.

No angry voices of the dead...

_Darry? Where are you?_

No relentless cries of the Hunger...though he still had plenty of an appetite...

_It still seems more normal..._

No fear, no cursed needs..._just nothing._

Except the love he had for his new family, and for those who had helped him.

And...just himself.

_It can not be gone...just like that? _

If it was gone...where did it go?

It was that question which caused Goliathus' eyes to widen as he thought of Dinarius and his disappearance.

_No...is that...possible?_

In the next moment, the easel was knocked to the ground as he hurried back to the medic room.

/

_**IT'S GOOD, ISN'T IT?**_

_Yes...it is...why am I so hungry? I just can't...get enough...why won't they bring more?_

_**YOU MUST HAVE PATIENCE, MY DEAR. PATIENCE. SOON, YOU CAN LEAVE THIS PLACE AND HAVE ALL YOU DESIRE.**_

A long moment of cold, dark, nauseated silence.

_**I WILL HELP YOU FIND IT. IT'S ALL AROUND...THEY ARE ALL AROUND. SO EASY. YOU WILL SUFFER NO MORE.**_

_Help me...I can't remember anything...I'm so confused...what happened to me?_

_**THE VAMPIRES TOOK YOU HERE. THEY ARE YOUR ENEMIES. YOU CAN KILL THEM, THEY ARE NOT YOUR FRIENDS. I AM YOUR FRIEND. YOUR ONLY FRIEND. TRUST NO ONE ELSE BUT ME, AND I WILL HELP YOU.**_

_Please tell me what they did to me!_

_**THEY KEPT YOU IN THIS ROOM FOR MONTHS. BUT I TOLD THEM WHAT TO FEED YOU. I HAVE NO USE FOR THEM ANYMORE. I WILL GIVE YOU STRENGTH, RENEW YOUR BODY. I WILL ALLOW THE FLESH TO HEAL YOU. WHEN YOU ARE STRONG, GO AND KILL THOSE USELESS INSECTS IF YOU CHOOSE. BUT FIRST, FIND THE ONE WHO BETRAYED ME AND DESTROY HIM. I WILL SHOW YOU HOW.**_

_Who? Who is my enemy?_

_**I WILL LEAD YOU TO HIM. YOU WILL SEE FOR YOURSELF.**_

_**NOW, GO EAT. AND THIS TIME, IT WILL HEAL YOU. I WILL END YOUR SUFFERING. I AM YOUR FRIEND. THE ONLY ONE YOU NEED.**_

_**TRUST IN ME...**_

_**IN ME...**_

Dinarius wailed, his head felt like it was on fire, from such a loud and powerful voice relentlessly booming into this head. He buried himself in the trough, covering himself in the blood, eating the flesh as fast as he could muster. He felt his body renewing itself, a strength overcoming him like he had never felt before.

Oh gods, but it was intoxicating! It was so marvelous, so incredible!

And he needed MORE of it, NOW.

He reached in again, but nothing remained.

Still, he had no concern of that as he went to the door and with supernatural ability that had surpassed anything he had before, he broke through, bending the metal bars with hardly an effort and splintering the wood into hundreds of dusty pieces.

He expected the vampires to try and stop him, but oddly, no one came down the dank, castle walls.

Making his way upstairs, Dinarius simply went to the main gate, stretched out his wings, and jumped into the chilly night air.

Back inside, a familiar face chuckled to himself, while a hulking, shadowy figure hissed in its own triumph.

The plan had worked.

/

End Chapter 20.

_I've been dying to get Solarus into the story. Man , I am so in love with Pilar-Sama's creepling designs. They are FCKING CUTE! A bit of inspriation from those, I admit, when it came to little Sol. Or maybe I'll have Ami start calling him "Sollie". Bwa ha ha! XD_


	21. Chapter 21

THE GOLIATHUS CHRONICLES

Chapter 21- The Hunger

/

A thin, lean silhouette with large wings cascaded through the air effortlessly, gliding on the abundant air currents and often swooping low and looking for something before rising slightly again.

_I have never tasted anything quite like that before..._

_**NO, YOU HAVE NOT. GO AND FIND MORE OF IT. THE MORE YOU GIVE ME, THE MORE I WILL GIVE TO YOU.**_

_But what am I looking for?_

_**I WILL SHOW YOU. BUT DON'T FORGET YOUR PROMISE TO ME. DESTROY THE ONE WHO BETRAYED ME, AND I WILL BRING YOU TO A POWER LIKE YOU HAVE NEVER KNOWN. ALL WILL FEAR YOU AND REVERE YOU AS IF A GOD.**_

_A...god? _Dinarius sighed, lowering his gaze towards the grassy field below and scanning the surface. _I just want...this hunger...to stop..._

_**THEN YOU WILL DO AS I ASK. **_The rumbling voice was loud, demanding, and cold as arctic ice.

_I..._he winced, sadness brimming in his deep blue eyes... _I...will do...as you ask..._

With a screech, the figure moved quickly upwards, disappearing behind the clouds.

/

After staying with Ami for quite some time, she finally insisted that her pacing and irritable lover go and find some "real food" before he wore out the floor tiles and drove her to insanity. Still, despite the urge to feed, the heradus was reluctant to leave, with his son just several hours old. In the end, however, he finally could stand it no longer and set off on a hunt, promising to return quickly.

Goliathus felt tempted to be particularly mean to the first struggling vampire he caught in his inescapable grip, as his talons cut like giant fish hooks into the flesh of its legs. He ignored the screaming, and all the worthless pleas. Sometimes...it was too easy to see his vampire prey as humans, and allow all the hate to come back to his confused heart.

This...was without the demon. This was what had corrupted him from the beginning. Snarling angrily at his nagging thoughts that never let him be, he bent forward and bit into the vampire's neck.

Hm. How would he like that? To feel the pain of having life drained right out of him? Of course heradus were not exactly parasitic blood-suckers like these vampires, but sometimes it was fun.

And quite satisfying.

Though the loss of blood didn't kill the vampire, it certainly weakened him. The eyes staring back at him angrily began to close heavily as the pupils dilated.

There were several sounds like snapping twigs as the heradus broke ribs and tore into the chest cavity, grabbing the heart and twisting the still-beating organ until it snapped free of the veins. He greedily shoved it into his mouth, swallowing whole as usual and savoring for only a moment. Quickly, he dived away until the screaming vampire burst into bright orange and white flames, instantly becoming silenced a moment later.

He watched the ashes blow into the wind for a while before returning to his beloved sky, searching for another of those tasty hearts. He could never eat just one, after all.

Up in the air, he felt a tingle spread throughout his scalp and a familiar voice rather surprised him.

_You are never going to learn about table manners, are you? Sometimes I actually feel a little bad for those vampires..._

_Darry?_

_Yeah, course it's me. You didn't think I just up and left, did you?_

Goliathus wondered what the purpose of Darry still being around was. The strange empty feeling without the demon's presence still lingered.

_Wait...you don't really think it's gone, do you?_

_But...I do not sense it...at all._

_Bat-man, remember what I told you before. It's going to take a lot of work to truly defeat that monstrous evil. You weakened it a bit, but not for much longer. It realized you were becoming too mentally strong against it. You have a friend out there whose in serious danger...listen! _Darry started to sound frantic, and so, Goliathus landed nearby in the woods, and slowly sat down. He closed his eyes to go into a deep mediation...this often worked well to allow spirit communications to be more clear and visual.

Even if it often gave him a splitting headache.

Once again, he found himself in the fields of empty, dried-out corn husks. Darry stood there instantly in a flash, looking at him solemnly.

_Listen...that other heradus..._

_Dinarius?_

_Yeah...your sidekick there...he got a hold of some bad drugs._

_Drugs? _Goliathus blinked, raising an eyebrow at him.

_All right sue me, I like to be a bit overly metaphorical sometimes. _

_Please, just talk to me and tell me what is wrong._

Sighing, Darry ran a hand through his brown hair, though it ended up looking more like his hand went through his head, as he was still quite transparent.

_It's very tricked Dinarius, and he's had more than a taste of human flesh. You know what that means._

Goliathus groaned, turning his head away. He knew what that meant all right, certainly he did.

_Dinarius will be cursed. He will sleep._

_Yeah, he's looking at about ten years. They put about ten corpses worth of meat in there..._

_Where?_

_In some kind of trough in a prison...they filled it with human blood to make him addicted to the scent._

_I feared this would happen..._

_Well, it did. But the way I see it, you do have one good advantage. When the sleeping curse takes him over, you'll have ten years to figure out how to try and stop him. The demon will be keeping one tendril still crawling around in your mind...but for the most part, he'll spend the entire ten years keeping Dinarius in a nightmare. When he wakes up, you better be prepared. There's going to be a Creeper all over again._

The powerful heradus sighed, wondering why things could never seem to get better...they only got worse. Was this battle with the demon a fight that was in vain?

_Don't think that way. It can be stopped. You can't give up._

_I will do what I can...but I must be honest with myself...I have a family now...a daughter and a son...and I only long to be with them._

_Of course you do. But remember, those children of yours are humanity's only hope. _Darry smirked. _Ironic, ain't it?_ He paused for a moment, as if carefully thinking over his next sentence.

_When they are older, they can start taking out vampires too, but more than that...they can help you battle that demon._

_I do not want them involved with it! _Roaring out ,Goliathus stood up and glared at Darry, though he was only feeling fear for his children, and certainly not angry at the teenager's spirit phasing in and out in front of him. _That THING will possess them too if it ever got the chance, I just can not risk that! I will think of something, but-_

_No, you don't understand. Those children are something you love. The more you love something, Goliathus, the more that demon is repelled from you. It's one reason it chose to get away, and find another host. You will have to help Dinarius fight it. Look, I'm losing energy here, but I'll come see you again soon. Remember, you'll have ten years. There will be time._

Suddenly, Darry was gone, fading into a tiny orb of light that circled a few times around the heradus before zipping upwards and vanishing.

Goliathus snapped open his eyes, gazing around the woods and back at reality. His children...he did not want them in any way, shape, or form violated by that demon. And yet, he knew Darry was right...they held some sort of power over it. He would have to find out exactly what the secret was.

He WAS going to destroy that evil and rid it from his life and everyone else's...once and for all...somehow.

/

There was one thing that the Demon of Hunger could never control, and that was the Sleeping Curse. It was something the Dark Mages used as a fail-safe, and perhaps as a way to "cure" a heradus of any addictions to the wrong prey.

Of course that cure had never worked, but the curse did. As Dinarius mindlessly swept over a small batch of homes he had found nestled somewhere within the vast forest, he caught the scent of a few humans which were irresistible to him. He felt himself trying to reject his motives as he landed on the ground, walking towards the first delicious sent even though his muscles fought back, causing him to take steps in an odd, hesitating fashion. Just as he neared the house, a young mother stepped out, carrying a toddler in her arms and heading for the trash bin. She was merely taking out the garbage, and had no idea what horror await her in mere moments.

Dinarius pitifully roared out, trying to fight the Demon's control, but the Hunger only intensified a thousand-fold. Now the resistance was useless...the searing pain in his middle clouded out all sense of reason. He had no choice but to satisfy it, for already it was driving him to madness. The woman opened her mouth to scream as she saw her attacker suddenly a mere foot from her, but no sound came. Paralyzed with fear, she could barely stumble back a few feet and ended up dropping her child in her shock, who of course immediately started crying. Suddenly a new feeling enveloped the heradus, one of extreme annoyance and hatred. The wails of the young child caused his lips to snarl and for him to burst forward and grab the boy's throat with one clawed foot. He demanded the vexing noise to stop in a loud voice, and the wails only grew louder.

In a savage move, he grabbed the child upwards and bit into the throat, tearing it out.

The mother screamed in response, hysterical and unable to decide whether she should bolt, attempt to rescue her profusely bleeding child, or stay where she was.

Dinarius made the decision for her, after swallowing the chunk of flesh, he tossed the child aside and went after her.

He had a particularly intense desire to harm females suddenly. Something in his mind lingered of a pained heart...a brief moment of bliss in his existence, and then shattering in his mind. Hurt. Want.

Something he couldn't have.

If he couldn't have it, then he'd destroy it.

Of course. The logic of it all made perfect sense.

_**OF COURSE. NOW KILL HER.  
**_

He leapt and tackled her, knocking her down to the ground. Only one more scream reverberated through the air before she was silenced permanently, and he feasted greedily on her flesh.

When it was over, the Hunger remained, demanding as ever.

In agony, he cried out, but there was nothing else to do...except find another human.

_**The demon grinned evilly and wallowed in its rivers of blood, the act causing black liquid and bits of rotted flesh to fall into the red below. The traitor could wait, even the vampires could wait. Ten years was a mere moment in time. More human souls were always a treat.**_

_**For now, it would just enjoy playing with its new puppet, as one of its heads slowly started to regenerate.**_

/

Several human carcasses later, Dinarius found himself feeling weary. His legs were so heavy he could barely walk without dragging them. He tried to lift his wings and ascend into the sky, but the energy was gone. He felt as if he might fall asleep where he stood. Finally, he saw what looked like an abandoned shack in the distance. He continued to force his legs to move, each step taking more and more effort.

By the time he got to the door of the condemned building, the world was fading from his view as his eyelids kept trying to close no matter how much he forced them open again.

Eventually, he collapsed onto the broken floorboards, one leg falling halfway into a hole in the floor. The claw-like crest on his head moved of its own accord and covered his face.

He lie still, and all movement ceased.

/

End Chapter 21.

_Holy fcking crap, but how this chapter annoyed me. I'm so frustrated sometimes, I just want to rip my hair out. I wish I could take pictures of my mind's eye and just have a computer translate my thoughts into chapters...and do all the editing for me. Ah well._

_Hope you enjoyed it regardless. _


	22. Chapter 22

THE GOLIATHUS CHRONICLES

Chapter 22- The Hunting Lesson

_For the record, this chapter was a huge excuse for graphic vampire killing, sloppy heradus eating habits, and lots of primal, hot sex. Also, just so you know, the scene you will read in the Observatory was inspired by a very weird, creepy dream. So beware, to some it might be quite disturbing, for all I know._

_Well, that's all! Have fun!_

/

Darting through the tall grass, Goliathus was in hot pursuit of the vampire who barely stayed ahead of him. This one's smell was quite different, it was more intoxicating then usual. The chase had already been long and intense, whoever this vampire was, he wasn't going to give up easily.

Turning on his heels quickly, he changed direction and veered left, then right, as his prey tried in desperate horror to evade him.

Chuckling, the heradus leapt forward, hoping to slam the vampire to the ground, but he clearly missed him and ended up rolling on the ground a few times before getting back to his feet. Snorting in annoyance, he gave up the ground pursuit and took to the air, making sweeps back and forth over the tall grass. However he was quick to realize he still could not see the prey from up here.

_Damn it all...invisibility? Peh..._

Inhaling the air around him deeply, he was still able to pick up the scent quite easily, but despite what his nose was pointing out to him, he still couldn't see what he was chasing after. Worse still, the Hunger was roiling. It had been some time since he'd last fed, and he was really craving some tender liver right about now.

Goliathus, however, was never one to give up, something this elusive vampire would learn the very hard way. More determined than ever, the winged creature surged forward and kept following the scent, which was the only way he could tell at least the general direction it was going.

Trailing behind, a similar winged creature of a much shorter stature peered through her hiding place, taking in all she was seeing through dark blue orbs. She too had been following the vampire, although her goal was to remain unseen...to be as sneaky as a stalking lioness. Behind her, yet another, even smaller winged grey form lie crouched closely to the ground, making eager noises, and scuffing the ground with one clawed foot.

"Are we gonna eat soon?"

_Shhh! Shut up, Solarus. Don't talk out loud._

_But I'm hungry!_

_Yeah, what else is new? Dad told us to stay out of sight._

_Did he kill the vampire yet?  
No!_

_Well, when he does...I get first dibs on the good parts!_

Navi turned, glaring at her brother. Then she heard a noise and ducked away with him deeper into the grass.

The chase was starting to get on Goliathus' nerves. He had no choice but to land and continue on foot when the vampire made its way into some thick forest, too thick to fly around in.

_Clever..._

He glanced once behind him, making a strange guttural noise.

He waited a few moments, hearing the small responses mentally.

Satisfied he climbed a tree and sniffed the air once more. Yes, the scent was still strong, in fact, it appeared the vampire had stopped moving.

His dark grey eyes darted back and forth but still no sight of it.

_Coward. Come out...come play with me..._

Grinning wickedly he jumped down from the tree and heard a startled sound. He must have landed very close to it. Straining his ears he realized he could also make out what sounded like breathing but obviously the vampire was trying hard to remain unseen to the heradus.

He was about to take a step forward, and then, hearing a twig snap, snarled and leapt forward again, this time hitting what seemed like a wall of solid air. A loud, angry scream filled the forest but just as Goliathus thought he had the vampire's location figured out, he heard it running off again.

Now, he was really getting pissed. Fishing around in a pocket of his duster he found one of his iron-tipped shurikens and ran off after it. Though it was a blind shot he let the shuriken fly directly in front of him. The weapon spun viciously as if just as determined as its maker to hit its mark, but only managed to slice through air as it finally found a resting spot lodged in a small tree.

Snarling again Goliathus dislodged it from the tree as he ran past, and tried listening for the smallest sound which might give the location away. He slowly came to a stop, as it seemed everything had gone quiet and even the birds had ceased their song. Looking around he could only see swaying treetops and the sun barely peaking out through the cloud-covered sky. Had it gotten away?

Goliathus sucked in the air furiously but it had seemed the scent had suddenly disappeared.

_Teleported? DAMN..._

What else could have happened? If it was there, he would have still smelled it.

He felt a tingling in his head suddenly, a new, odd sort of sensation that almost made him feel like he needed to scratch the inside of his brain to get rid of an itch.

This was Navi, whose mental sendings had been a challenge to get used to.

_Daddy? You stopped._

_I think I lost him._

_What?_

_I can not smell that blasted vampire anymore..._

_Solarus says he can!_

_What?  
He still smells him!_

_Where?_

_Behind him!_

Goliathus whipped around quickly, kicking up wet clumps of dirt as he did so, and hastily heading in their direction. As he neared his two small children he saw what almost looked like waving smoke directly behind them, and realized the vampire was on the verge of attacking them.

Baring his shark-like teeth, he once again let the shuriken spin forward, and just before a materialized arm and hand found its way around the younger one's neck, the shuriken struck and a loud scream once again filled the air.

Now unable to keep its spell of invisibility in tact, Goliathus finally saw what he had been chasing. The vampire was male and rather tall and built, which explained how it had managed to keep ahead of its pursuer. With furious eyes it was trying to dislodge the shuriken from its chest, and the iron was doing its work, although not as effectively as Goliathus had hoped.

Giving up on removing the weapon the vampire tried to turn and run, but was rather surprised to feel a small weight land squarely upon his back.

_Solarus, NO!_

Reaching behind him the vampire tried to grab the small heradus that was tearing into his back with claws and tiny teeth, but Solarus jumped off when he heard his father's voice.

Determined to squash the little brat, the vampire picked up a huge rock and spun around, ready to bludgeon him to death. He never did get the chance, as he heard a whistling sound and felt yet another shuriken lodge into his neck. Dropping the rock near his feet, he slumped to the ground as more of his energy drained right out of him.

The now weakened vampire was unable to get up and glared at all of them, still desperately trying in vain to remove the two shurikens that refused to budge.

_Can we eat him now?_

The vampire looked suddenly horrified as he looked at the yellow-orange eyes which were fixated on him. Tiny as he was, this little heradus was no less frightening in its ultimate motives than his father who had so relentlessly pursued him.

Being eaten alive wasn't exactly a pleasant thought, no matter what the size of the predator. Fear surged through the vampire as he realized his only escape was to remove the cursed weapons. Blood began to run down the vampire's neck and pool on the ground as he yanked harder and harder at the shuriken.

_You did not listen, Solarus..._

The little one hunkered down, staring at the ground.

_Sorry...just trying to help._

_You have to admit that was pretty brave though!_

Navi elbowed her brother, who flashed a grin at her.

_Brave, but foolish. You are not yet old enough to take on vampires by yourself._

Solarus only whimpered, as he did not like to know that his father was unhappy with him.

Goliathus knelt by the vampire, chuckling at his fruitless plight to try and remove his weapons, and watched him in amusement for a while.

_Still, I will give you some points for bravery. Your sister is right about that. Now, finish him off._

_Me?_

_Me?_

Laughing, Goliathus stood up, and using one clawed foot, wrapped it tightly around the vampire's neck, holding him down to the ground. The grip was so tight that the shuriken was lodged further in his neck, causing him to sputter and blood to seep from the corners of his mouth.

_Either of you. It does not matter._

The two siblings looked at each other for a moment, and then it was Navi who scrambled onto the prey. Using her claws she raked at the flesh, creating deep rivets which started to bleed profusely. The vampire's resulting screams did not cause any of them to even flinch.

_If you were by yourself, that would hardly be effective. A nice method to cause pain, but little else. Cease his screaming._

Goliathus removed his foot and Solarus jumped for the neck. The vampire was unable to scream any further as his throat was crushed in the tiny but powerful jaws. Flailing he grabbed him by the wing and tried to pull him off, but Solarus only bit down harder.

Navi finally succeeded in opening up the abdomen, as intestines began to fall out and pile up in a steaming mass on the ground. Pausing for only a moment, she blinked a few times before grabbing one of the long coils and starting to chew on it slowly.

The scent of the fresh meat caused Goliathus to growl slightly and seeing that his son was doing well in keeping the vampire subdued, he knelt down by his daughter and started viciously pulling out other organs until the cavity was empty.

By this time, the vampire was barely moving.

_Hey! Save some for me!_

_You can let go now, stupid._

_Oh..._

Solarus pried his mouth off the vampire's neck and eagerly crawled over to his father, who ripped off a large piece of the liver with his teeth and handed it to his son.

_Ha ha, got the good part!_

Navi just rolled her eyes and delicately continued her own meal, eating much more slowly than the other two.

Goliathus grinned, trying to suppress a chuckle.

_She will get the heart, though._

_What? No fair!_

_/_

Back at the Atrium, Goliathus washed up, cleaning the thick blood off his claws and out of his hair before turning the shower off and filling the tub for his children. Navi got cleaned up with no problems, while her younger brother screamed bloody murder and whined until his bath was finally over with. Goliathus did not understand his son's aversion to water, but then again he also knew that children will be children, no matter what species they happen to be.

As he went to his easel to start another painting, he watched them quietly for a moment. His daughter Navius had a slender form with dark blue skin, shining blue eyes, and dark brown hair that was already down to her shoulders. At six years, she was incredibly mature for her age, just like a little lady, and had great intuition. She was very protective of her younger brother, and also extremely obedient. There were very few things she complained about. She was, however, somewhat timid, and unsure of herself at times, as well as being overly attached to her father and lacking independence.

Solarus was nearly her opposite. He was stronger and light grey, with yellow-orange eyes, and white hair. At almost five years old he was still smarter than any normal child his age, but he was bold and practically fearless. He had boundless energy and was far more heradus than human. With a hunger that matched his father's, he was more than eager to join him on hunts and was driven by his goals.

Solarus had trouble listening and could be a handful, but he had an irresistible charm about him as well.

Goliathus grinned, swelling with pride. It was truly odd, how only less than ten years ago, this would have all seemed impossible...a dream never turned reality.

But then she came...his love...his Ami...

He heard her voice then, as she came into the Atrium, clanking the heavy door behind her.

"Momma!" Solarus practically dived off the platform he had been climbing on, swooping into her arms.

"How's my little boy?" Ami cooed, nuzzling into his face and causing her son to giggle. She was soon also greeted by her daughter, and hugged the two of them tightly.

But just as soon as they had greeted her, they ran off, eager to play. Navi screeched as her brother chased her up a ladder to a higher level.

_Well, hello._

Ami pried her eyes from her children to see Goliathus had silently moved to her side. Because he was so close she breathed in the scent of the natural odors he carried, from the leathery smell of the duster to the earthen scents his skin held. For one moment, it completely intoxicated her. Reaching her arms around his muscular chest, she hugged him tightly.

Goliathus purred slightly, snuffing at her hair. Gawd, but how she loved to be smelled by him, strange as that fact might be to anyone else. As if reading her thoughts he moved his nose down to her mouth, inhaling her own breaths deeply.

_Goliathus...stop that._

_Hmm? _He chuckled, stepping back.

_Is everything well?_

_Yes...but I'm more curious about your day. How did that go?_

_Rather challenging, but I thoroughly enjoy a challenge._

_Did the little ones do all right?_

_Oh yes. They are learning fast. Solarus, however, needs to listen better._

_Well as long as you're around, he'll be all right. _

He smirked, eyes still half-closed as he took in her scents which were clearly starting to get to his liking.

_Such confidence in me._

_Well of course I have confidence in you..._

Ami blinked as she noticed Goliathus' eyes were wandering downwards.

_Ah-HEM._

_Hm? _He looked at her as if snapping out of a trance.

_Not with the kids around, you._

_So send them to bed._

_Uh, ME? YOU can send them to bed. They would love to have daddy tuck them in, ya know. And read a bed-time story while you're at it._

He snorted. _Bed-time story?_

_Yeah! Why not? _Ami tried hard not to laugh, as she called Navi and Solarus over.

"All right you two, hit the sheets."

"Aw, but mom...can't we stay up and watch horror movies with dad?"  
"Uh, what?" She turned to question Goliathus but he had quickly turned around and pretended to be fiddling with one of his spring-loaded daggers.

"Uh..no..but he'll read you a story!"

"Really?"

"Yep! Now go, go!"

As the two of them scrambled up the ladders to the highest ledge where their "room" temporarily was, Goliathus gave Ami a look before he unfurled his wings to ascend to the top. Before he leapt though, she tapped him on the shoulder.

_Horror movies?_

Grinning his toothy grin, he only shrugged before flapping a single time and landing on the top ledge.

/

The children had been asleep in their bunk bed for several hours as Ami still found herself awake and going over her journals. Goliathus needed very few psychiatric sessions anymore, but she still felt he needed to go through them from time to time. Although he had much improved, there were still a lot of barriers to bring down.

He seemed most responsive, for whatever reason, in the early hours of the morning.

Ami was already in the midst of a session and sipping on hot tea while Goliathus lie sprawled out on her couch and watching the ceiling fan above spin around and around.

_Are you fascinated by that thing or what?_

_It helps me to think._

_Oh? Does it? Okay then. _Grinning, she took another sip of tea.

_So, you felt a bit worried on this hunt? You didn't tell me that before, Gollie._

_It is because every time I turn around or even blink, a vampire has a new talent. I am wondering how long will I be able to keep up with them._

_New talent? _That was a bit worrying.

_Yes, invisibility, or being able to cover their scent for short periods. They are learning more about me, and in doing so, are trying to devise new ways to fool me. _

_Oh, but you'll find a way to beat them at their game. You always do._

_You have too much confidence in me, love._

_You're a heradus, and the most powerful one that ever existed. That's not confidence, that's just assurance. _She grinned.

_Maybe so, but I am only one heradus. And there is another who will be a problem in about another five years._

Ami's face fell...Dinarius. She sighed, her thoughts wandering back to the day they had their forbidden moment of crazed lovemaking, and the guilt she felt afterwards. It wasn't as if she blamed Dinarius entirely either, it was also her own fault. Even after five years, she still regretted it. The way she loved Goliathus made it seem impossible that she would ever do such a thing to betray him. And then even after all that, he disappears, gets captured by the vampires...and...now...

Goliathus had been staring at Ami, reading into some of her thoughts.

_I still have not found him._

_You have to find him...the first thing we're going to do with him is put him in the Atrium...just as I did with you. He's going to need serious help when that time comes._

_He carries no scent of his own... I will have to just keep searching the forests until I find him. And they are vast..._

_I know, I know... _

Ami sighed. Despite the very serious reality of the situation, she didn't want to think about it. There were still five years to go anyway.

Getting up from her chair Ami slowly moved over to the couch and sat next to him by his feet.

_You've always been an incredible challenge, Goliathus. But I have refused to quit on you and I still won't...that means I won't quit on Dinarius either. I will help him, no matter what it takes. Just tell me, that I have your support in this._

_Of course you do. You have my support in anything._

She smiled warmly at him, running her fingers along the sharp talons on his left foot. And as usual, the atmosphere between them changed quickly.

_Can you explain to me how even your feet are sexy?_

He grinned wide and sat up, hovering close to her face again.

_No, no more perhaps than I can explain why your breath arouses me..._

_Well, you're a smell-freak, we all know that. _She giggled, tugging at the long ponytail that hung in white wispy strands down his back.

_ Goliathus, really. I can't explain at all this attraction to you. I never will, either._

_Some things do not need explaining._

Eyes half-closed again he was breathing in all of her luscious scents...the sweat starting to form on her body, the hot moisture on her breath, and the definite musky scent that told him her body was reacting to the caress of his sharp nails on her neck.

_You are too easy... _His classic grin caused her to chuckle at him.

_Just shut up...and take me..._

His eyes widened briefly but in a flash he was hastily removing her clothes (and neither of them caring if they tore) and admiring her naked body as he continued to breath her in.

_That seriously turns me on._

_Hm?_

_He hee..._

_You smell wonderful._

_So do you. I can kind of understand what you mean because well, you always smell like earth and leather...and for some weird reason...I can't get enough of that._

He flashed her a smile and trailed a nail from her breast to her navel, then used his tongue to follow the same path.

_Ung! You're gonna torture me, aren't you?_

_It is a talent of mine. _He smirked, as he started to lick her all over. Every time he hit a particularly sensitive spot, such as around her navel or on her nipple, she shuddered and moaned. This won victorious looks from Goliathus, who found himself drawn to the increasing heat between her legs.

Even though she invited him there by spreading her legs apart, he purposefully avoided her swollen labia and licked her everywhere around it.

_Not __**fair**__...you bastard..._

Snickering he continued to tease her, although his own game was difficult to play, considering he wanted nothing more than to taste her over and over again.

Moaning Ami reached around his back with both hands, tangling her fingers in his hair and bucking her hips toward his own. His growls vibrated against her chest as he was tempted to impale her right then and there, but he had one mission to accomplish first. Sliding downwards again he continued to lick at her sweat-covered skin until she was begging him to stop teasing her.

Finally running his tongue over her eager clitoris she bucked her hips toward his face and moaned loudly. Goliathus continued to feed off of her scent as he licked her, tasting and smelling her at the same time.

_Ah...fuck me...now...!_

Goliathus was only all to happy to oblige as he straddled her.

_Daddy?_

At first, Goliathus ignored the tingling in his head. Or at least tried to.

_Daddy?_

Ami blinked as she noticed Goliathus turning his head to look towards the Atrium.

_Uh...stopping is not good. No it isn't. Horny woman here. Yes, very horny._

_Daddy?_

_Yes, Navi._

_Solarus woke me up._

_Why?_

_He's crying. Says he's hungry._

Snorting in defeat, Goliathus moved off of Ami.

_Sorry love, but the children are calling._

_What? NOW?_

_Yes..._

_Ah...crap. _

_The Hunger has woken Solarus again._

_Oh...damn._

Despite her body's protests Ami got up, putting back on her jeans (even though one leg was torn) and buttoning the fly. She threw on her shirt and headed to the kitchen with Goliathus following.

_I thought he was over that...it hasn't happened in a while! _Ami hurried to grab some meat out one of the refrigerators and warm it over a pot of water.

_Apparently not... hmmm, smells good. _

_You want some too?  
_

_You are asking me that question?_

She elbowed him. _Yeah okay, I'll put some extra in there._

_Do not worry love, we can always play later. _He winked at her.

*sigh*_ Yeah, I know..._

A short time later, Solarus was finally calmed down and had fallen asleep after being tucked back into his bed. Ami was always worried about her son more than Navius, but she tried not to let it show to them. Interestingly enough, however, Goliathus had suggested that like human children, he could be going through a "stage" or something akin to a "childhood ailment" that he would eventually outgrow...or at the very least, learn to overcome. That assurance had always comforted her, knowing that Solarus was indeed very strong-willed.

Ami still had the remaining pieces of meat she had saved for Goliathus in the bucket as she followed him into the Observatory, the highest room of the entire Atrium. What was really satisfying about the room was that no noise that was going inside could be heard outside. It had been designed that way so that the scientists, psychiatrists, and other observers who had once worked with the amazing heradus could watch and study him without being heard or seen, since the window was also a one-way.

As the door opened and the two wandered in, Goliathus gazed at the bare white walls with a snort of utter distaste.

_There is a severe lack of art on these walls._

Ami chuckled and grinned at him. _It was never meant to be anything but a place to stand around and observe. But...you could change that. Feel free to scribble on the walls if you want to._

_**Scribble**__? _He sneered at her.

Laughing, she shook her head at him. _Will you please learn to stop taking everything so literally, Goliathus? Please, dear._

_Hmph._

_Your art is not TRULY scribble, anything but. It's just one of those confusing human expressions that you can never seem to grasp._

_Ah...I see._

_You're not really offended, are you?_

_No... _He grinned quite purposefully, taking a few determined steps towards her, then his nose drew him instantly towards the bucket she had placed on the one, plain white table standing in the middle of the room.

_All yours! _Ami assured as she sat on the one, (yes,plain white) couch that was in front of the table and facing the huge pane of glass. Down below she could see the entire, vast Atrium. She raised her brows a bit when she realized for the first time that from up here, it really _did_ look like one giant bird-cage. The thought of Goliathus flitting around the place like a bird caused her to have to suppress a chuckle with her hand to her mouth. Thankfully, he didn't catch onto her thought.

His deep, raspy voice once again entered her mind and this time, she could literally feel the words caressing her entire body like sensuous fingers.

These sensations, they were so odd, but she was starting to realize that Goliathus could send feelings as well as words to her and it wasn't just her imagination. Telepathic...and empathic. What an incredible creature he was. Even after all this time, he still amazed her, time and time again.

_I would very much like to consume what is there in that bucket...but I like it better when you feed me._

His words were so sultry, so hushed, that Ami felt a delightful shudder seep through her spine. Her body quickly remembered the feelings from their very recent near-union and she gazed up at him, eager to continue it.

_Oh really?_

_Hmmm..._ he nodded, stepping over to the couch and joining her there. She got the bucket and brought it close, and she grinned mischievously as she also remembered how much Goliathus seemed to love to tease her lately, when it came to their love play. Ha...well then she would do the teasing this time.

Reaching in, she was sure to bring out only a very small piece and reach it up to his lips. Goliathus grunted, obviously, he had mixed feelings on this, but knowing Ami was always as creative as he was, he just went with it. The sight of him using the very tip of his tongue to grab a tiny morsel of meat that was barely the size of one of his teeth was so amusing to Ami that she burst out laughing outright. The heradus wasn't sure what to feel himself, but, he grinned in spite of himself. Her laughter was contagious anyhow.

_I can't possibly tease you properly. It just doesn't work._

Thinking a long while, Goliathus finally answered her while eying the bucket the entire time.

_It is a good way to practice self-control, though._

Ami's eyes widened, as she realized he was right. The thought that crossed her mind next made her worry about herself and her own way of thinking...but in the past, teaching Goliathus resistance had always been tough. The hunger he felt, being as strong as it was nearly every hour of his waking existence, had always been one of the biggest challenges. During previous tests the heradus had succeeded in no more than forty-five minutes to not eat what was directly in front of him, but with much wailing, scratching, snarling, and whatever else he could do to ensure _**everyone**_ in the room and up in the Observatory knew his anger.

Perhaps, now...with this new idea...she had discovered a way to teach him self-control.

Ami had become so engrossed in her own thoughts that Goliathus was now no longer paying attention to the bucket but blinking at her with slight concern.

_I must have said something interesting?_

She snapped herself out of it and smiled at him.

_Hm, yes you did all right. I've got an idea._

Very curious now, he simply watched her as she started to undress, slowly, making sure he was observing.

Goliathus felt the all too familiar ache in his lions and his most primal instincts told him to just jump on her and hump her like a wild rabbit, but he jerked his head and reminded himself that he was _**not**_ some kind of wild animal.

When she was completely naked, Ami curled her finger at him and he helplessly moved closer to her, once again breathing deep the scents that were so well-ingrained into his mind.

But, with a shocked look of alarm, he watched in an almost surprised stupor as she reached into the bucket, scooped up a handful of the blood, and began to smear it on her body, mostly on her chest. The scents were now mingled and confusing, causing Goliathus to take one step back from her.

What was she doing?

Ami continued, doing the same on her arms and legs, before seeming satisfied with her task and clanking the bucket from the table to the floor, where she kept it purposefully away from him.

_Okay now...we can continue what we were doing, before we got interrupted._

She smirked at him, but Goliathus still eyed her, dumbfounded.

To his eyes, she very much reminded him of wounded prey.

It disturbed as well as fascinated him.

He was hungry now, did she not see this? The fact that she looked far more appetizing than she should was causing the heradus to fidget uncomfortably and part of him wanted to leave the room.

_What are you doing to me?_

_When you said something about self-control, and idea sprang to my head. I'm going to teach you a little more about it. You have many barriers yet to break down with that issue._

_But...you are going to use your own body to tempt me? _He snorted, shaking his head and actually looking away from her.

There was a long moment of silence.

_Goliathus._

He looked at her reluctantly.

_Do you really want to harm me, to eat me?_

_NO! _He growled, furious at such a thought.

_Then I am the ONLY one who can truly teach you resistance, am I not?_

He thought about, whirring the wheels in his brain, and finally came to the conclusion that she was indeed right. The thought of harming her was more horrific than the thought of harming any other single human being, so much so that his body shook in response. He knew she was right...Ami was always right.

And she also knew that sometimes it took dramatic, and even disturbing ways to try and help him.

Of course, it was also dangerous. So dangerous, that Goliathus thought that maybe she had gone crazy. And all because of his influence on her. He was sure of it. It was all his fault.

Still, he stepped towards her slowly and with much hesitation. Her naked body was pure seduction, he did want to engage with her in as much lusty sex as possible, that was never one pleasantry he ever grew bored with.

But...to be covered in the blood of his food? A diet which he had only recently begun to accept as opposed to what he had eaten for a thousand years beforehand? This was madness...and yet...he found himself extremely aroused, moreso than normal.

He wanted this, and yet he didn't trust himself.

_I...can not...this-_

_Yes, you can. Now, come over here, it's all right._

_But...the Hunger...right now it is not quiet. It is strong. Dangerously so._

_Gollie...stop doubting yourself. Please come over here._

He kept looking at her sadly, although he still neared her step by step.

_I do not want to hurt you, we have everything, from what you have accomplished with me to our children. I do not want to see that I am as I have always believed, a weak and pitiful being, ruled by such primal, carnal instincts. If I harm you, Ami...I will never-_

_STOP. Do you hear me? Just stop it now._

She tried to change the mood, grinning sweetly at him.

_You said you like to be hand-fed...and very often, you don't end up biting my fingers off in the process, right? That's a little bit of self-control...of resistance...right there. So you can do this. You really can._

Finally, he was right next to her again. Instantly the scent of the blood on her was causing him to drool slightly from the hunger pangs, but for the moment, he was in control.

Ami reached forward, bringing her arms around him and pulling him closer as she led him down onto the couch.

Goliathus found himself greedily licking the blood off of her in savage thrusts of his tongue. He had come to the conclusion that the faster he could get it off of her, the less she would smell like a piece of juicy meat ready for a feast.

Ami, unknowing to his thoughts, moaned at the rough handling. His hands were gripping her tightly and fingers flexing, much as he often treated something he was smelling with fierce determination to try and figure out what was going to go down his gullet. It was frightening, purely so, but also incredibly arousing and Ami was already sacrificing herself completely to all of his demands.

After licking off the blood from one breast, he moved to the other, growling dangerously. Ami, trying to keep things from getting too out of hand, stroked the back of his spiny head and down his back, and he shuddered in response, ceasing his rough bath upon her reddening skin.

_I like that tongue better in __**other**__ places._

He blinked almost stupidly, before coherent thought returned and he instantly went to her dripping wet womanhood, lapping up every drop her body offered with whining, grunting noises. He was literally trying to calm his hunger with her nectar, and finding it only made it worse. Still, the control was there, or at least for the moment.

Ami bucked her hips hard as a very powerful orgasm struck her, seeming to feed off of the primal manner in which he was owning her body. Still, she continued to caress and stroke his leathery skin through her loud, panting moaning, as sweat trickled down her face and her heart beat roughly in her chest.

Goliathus howled quite loudly (and Ami hoped that even the sound-proofed room was enough to block it) and thrust himself harshly into her. He leaned down to continue to lick at the blood on her left side, and as he did so, he pounded even harder into her.

At this point, Ami was growing uncomfortable, he was being too rough with her...and yet she didn't stop him. In the back of her mind she thought for sure that her nether regions were going to be badly bruised after this encounter, but, any pain was worth it if it meant helping Goliathus overcome his difficult challenges.

If she didn't do this, he never would learn, and the cycles of his damaged mind would never cease.

With both pain and pleasure exploding at her senses, Ami both moaned and struggled not to scream, until finally, Goliathus reached his own orgasm, shrieking out his unearthly scream, and then suddenly leapt away from her, snarling like an enraged lion.

It was a good thing the room was mostly bare, for this gave the heradus little chance of throwing potentially lethal objects around. But the walls did not fare well as they suffered deep rivets from slicing claws, and the table was shattered into pieces. Goliathus would trash the room to dust, before he harmed the one human with him in the room.

That one human started to be haunted by a very dark and serious question. Had the demon truly left him at all?

Goliathus had told her, five years ago when Dinarius disappeared, that the demon had seemed to "leave him". He said he had felt empty, like a void.

But this sudden, scary outburst was much like the old days in this Facility, when a few people had even managed to lose their lives to the creature they were trying to help.

Ami thought of Dr. Leyden, and frowned. But, she thought it might be good ammo to use on Goliathus.

_Hey...you need to get it under control now. It's all right, Goliathus._

He seemed to calm almost immediately. Eyes still wide, he was leaning against the wall and gripping into it with his claws, but he fought hard to bring his breathing to a more normal level.

_You remember Dr. Leyden? That nice old lady who managed to befriend you? _

He whimpered. _Yes. I do._

_Good. Then you know you need to calm down. Because she's an example of what happens if you don't._

Goliathus whirled on her, angry. _YOU did this to me! You covered yourself in the blood of animals and caused me to lose myself!_

_No, you didn't lose yourself!_

_Yes, I did! This room is trashed now..._

_But did you hurt me?_

_No...I did not...but... _He sank to the floor, blinking.

_Your temper got out of hand. But not YOU. You did not harm anything but inanimate objects...which doesn't count, of course. And you did all that, Gollie...with your hunger at a strong level!_

_Peh...you see this as progress?_

_Yes!_

He scrunched his face, confused, but the look in his eyes had changed so much that Ami knew he was back to normal...well...whatever normal was.

_I'm so proud of you._

Goliathus felt a flutter of pride in his heart, but he still had such great doubt in himself that he only snorted at her praise.

_You praise me even if I speak one single word. _He smirked.

_That's because no matter how small, a victory is a victory. Can't you see that? And with you, it will take many of these small steps. No one can expect it to be gone from you like an illness that passes with time. As I said before, you're a challenge. And when I say I will never give up on you, I mean it._

After several minutes of silence between them, he cocked his head towards the bucket.

_I think that for putting me through this, I deserve something special. _

Ami snickered. _Special? Like what?_

He thought a long moment, then his eyes widened in eagerness.

_A nice fat swine. Very fresh...in fact, bring it to me alive. And... _he hesitated for a long moment _...bacon._

_Bacon? You don't like cooked meat, I thought?_

_It has a nice salty crunch. I liked it more than I thought._

_But when did you try that? _Ami's look was incredulous.

_Stole some of your breakfast one morning._

Ami allowed the growing snickers to form into bellowing laughter, as she sank to the floor, joining him on the opposite side of the room.

The whole thing was so ludicrous, that neither of them could resist being amused by it.

/

Ami had fulfilled Goliathus' request, later in the day she brought him a squealing hulk of an animal that came in the form of a pot-bellied pig. Goliathus watched intently, he had not been fed a live animal in quite some time. In the past, such kinds of feedings caused Ami to receive lots of disapproving looks. But Goliathus was a predator, and she never felt it was wrong for a predator to kill live prey, besides, enough of that happened daily in the wild.

For whatever reason, the heradus was particularly fond of the meat of pigs, and after some curious questions, she learned from him that it might be because his mother had often fed him that animal when he was a child.

_You want it slaughtered here and Julie will bring you the buckets?_

_No! Bring it in here, I will kill it._

_Uh, you sure about that?_

_Yes..._

*sigh* _You do realize this smelly animal has been causing my ears to bleed with its squealing? Pigs HATE to be handled..._

_Please love, just this one little favor. _Having purposefully sugar-coated his words with sultry charm, Ami rolled her eyes and had Julie heave the animal into the elevator, up the top floor, and finally, with the beast squealing angrily and sliding around helplessly on the smooth floors, was pushed inside the Atrium and the metal door clanked behind it.

As they walked away, Ami could hear Goliathus chasing the animal around as its frantic cries reverberated throughout the Atrium, and she knew why. He had a desperate need to be particularly savage after his last experience, and it was why he had requested the live meal.

Eventually, the animal was quieted, and using one of his favorite daggers, he sliced open the pig's midsection, watching in anticipation for the organs to spill out, then stuffing his mouth greedily with handfuls of liver and spleen.

He did not cease until the entire animal was consumed, save for its skin and bones. Once finished, he set to the task of cleaning up the mess, tossing all the remains into the trash compactor bin and using wet towels to mop up the blood that was everywhere.

After several hours, as if nothing happened, he went back to his favorite ledge, and set back to work on his latest artistic project. No longer interested in bones and other odd objects for his weapons, he had learned well how to use metal, iron, soldering tools, springs, broken weapons (which he could repair and make pretty using his own designs) and other various non-organic materials for his latest arsenal.

Lighting growling in satisfaction with a nice full stomach, he set to work on his latest home-made creation. A bow and arrow, laced with intricate designs of vampires running with horrified expressions while they were chased by three forms...a large winged creature with two smaller ones.

/

End Chapter 22.

_**Geez** that chapter was long. My hands and butt are numb here. I may be trying to wrap this story up soon with the next few chapters, as I aim to finally get into the third installment. I'm looking to get someone to draw Goliathus and his children, based on what they've read in the story. Use a little of your own imagination if you like. As a reward, perhaps I'll write a chosen scene of your own, an idea for the story? Or maybe something else? Can't draw, so it will have to be written. Any takers out there?_


	23. Chapter 23

THE GOLIATHUS CHRONICLES

Chapter 23- The Thorn in Your Side

/

It had been a long time since Marcus Valiant had even dared to set foot outside. Having been a practical prisoner in his own castle, he had stayed close to the stone walls and dared not even show his face to anyone but those who resided within. His plan was time-consuming and complicated, but so far, it had gone well. The vampires he set out to distract the heradus with were worthy sacrifices, whether they knew it or not. To hell with them, really...most of "his" clan did nothing but go on about Donovan, who had been a "true" leader, while they considered him a "coward". He huffed, eyes narrowing. They had no idea the real danger they would be in if it wasn't for him. He had spent years trying to protect them and they didn't even have a clue. Someday, he was going to get the respect he deserved...even if he had to force it out of them. As he traveled down the dungeon's hallways he met a lurking, shadowy figure. The hood covering its face unfurled from around its head as if a living entity and terrible pale-white features could be seen, with eyes so blood-red and ugly, that even Marcus had a hard time looking at them.

"Drakkon?"

"Yesss..."

"Did you find him?"

"I did, Marcusss...he wasss deep within the foressst, in an old cabin."

"Where did you move him?"

"Somewhere Goliathusss will never hope to find him. I asssure you that."

"Good..." Flashing a grin, Marcus stepped past the Shadow vampire and headed further down the hallway, passing numerous prison doors as he did so. The shadowy evil followed closely behind, floating silently behind him.

Finally, as they neared the end, Marcus turned left and fumbled with a key to a huge wooden door that looked positively ancient. Creaking open as if reluctant to move, Marcus struggled with the heavy door, heaving it open, and was greeted to a small room packed with crates, some of which went to the ceiling.

"All right, so where is it?" he asked, glancing over his shoulder at Drakkon.

"There..." he pointed towards the middle, with one long, eerily curved fingernail.

"And it's...a whistle? Seriously?"

The Shadow vampire laughed, which only sent a shudder through Marcus. He didn't like these vampires anymore than anyone else. Donovan may have considered them allies, but he only considered them incredibly hard to be around.

"This _whisstle_, as you call it, emits a sssound which can disssable the heradusss. It will be quite ussseful, Marcusss. Believe me."

That sounded promising. Crawling on top of a nearby shorter stack, Marcus began the long task of heaving boxes aside to find the right one, cursing under his breath.

Of course, the Shadow vampire did nothing to help him, only watched with an evil gleam in its eyes.

/

Setting down the small brush, Goliathus sighed and gave a good stretch. At last, the weapon was finished. Glancing at the clock, he realized it was nearly five in the morning. It had been quite a challenge to finish, but, ultimately he was satisfied. What gleamed back at him in layers of ebony lacquer and painstakingly intricate designs was a bow and arrow that was a true labor of love. It wasn't for him, after all...but for one little lady who slept soundly higher above him. He grinned, remembering a previous conversation one afternoon while Navi watched him intently and quietly, as she always did, so enamored by his work.

_I wish I had that talent, to do what you do. I can only draw pictures._

_You will someday, believe me. It just takes patience and practice._

He picked up the recurve bow and looked it over carefully, looking for any flaws he may have missed while the memory continued.

_If you did want your very own weapon, what would you choose?_

_Oh it would be... _her eyes widened slightly, as she was quite certain of her next thought... _a bow and arrow! Like these... _she showed him a few books she had been looking at, showing images of many different kinds of bows used, especially in ancient times. And he had smiled, proud of her taste in older finery. A bow and arrow, something he had never even thought to make before, so obsessed was he with daggers, swords, and the like. But children could be such an inspiration. Such a wonderful, wonderful inspiration.

This bow and arrow, it was purposefully "feminine" in its pose and stature, but strong and tough, like the heart of his daughter. Satisfied it was indeed complete, he only had to test it out now. Reaching for one of the ten arrows he had also finished, complete with iron tips, he aimed it towards a makeshift bullseye, which was really just a blank canvas he had drawn one on.

Pulling back he focused carefully before letting it fly. There was that delightful rush of sharp wind that an arrow created, which was music to his ears. It buried itself squarely where he wanted, right in the center. The bow hardly even creaked, and the arrow had followed a straight, nearly flawless path.

Yes...it would do just nicely.

He gathered up the bow and its arrows, including wrenching free the one in the canvas, and made his way up to the top. He hoped she would be pleased.

/

"Momma, momma! Look!"

Ami yawned, shifting around in her bed. She was only half-awake and trying to ignore the voice that was infiltrating her world of blissful sleep.

"Hmn?" She opened one eye, seeing only her bedroom wall.

"Momma you have to see it! It's beautiful!"

Curious now, Ami turned around again and saw her daughter's eager, happy face staring back at her. Even with sharp little teeth gleaming in the sunlight streaming through the window behind her, she was as cute and innocent as any human child.

At first, she didn't notice the black, slender object she was holding, but Navi made sure she did, holding it closer to her face.

"See see? Look! Daddy made this just for me!"

Ami had seen Navius happy before, but this was hyper, even for her. She sat up in bed and took the weapon, looking it over.

"Looks dangerous...but...wow. This really is beautiful!"

"Isn't it? I can't wait to practice using it! I never did actually use a bow and arrow before..."  
"This is what you wanted?"  
"Yes! But I didn't know he was actually making one!" She took it back, happily skipping out of the room.

Ami heard her call "I'm going to go outside and practice now!" before her voice faded completely.

Shaking her head but grinning, Ami stretched out with a huge yawn before crawling out of bed and getting some clothes on. Her first task of the day was to make breakfast for everyone... a very _big_ breakfast.

Outside, both of the heradus children were excitedly hovering around their father as he showed them how to use the bow. In front of them was a real bulls-eye target, the kind used in archery. Goliathus hovered down with Navius standing in front, holding her hands properly on the bow and showing her how to use it. With intense concentration, she harbored on every mental word as he instructed her and despite her first few releases being way off, she still hit the board. Smiling, she reached back to pull another arrow from her quiver and try again.

There was no doubt, it seemed Navi was an archer at heart. Solarus, though he watched and listened, found it fun to watch but showed little interest in trying himself.

Goliathus would soon have a "gift" for him as well, but he decided he needed to be a bit older first. It wasn't so much about age really, but mentality. Solarus was still a bit too reckless, a point further proved as he daringly stood in front of Navi's aim a few times before darting off, only chuckling as she chewed him out. After the third time this happened, a sharp look of warning from his father finally caused Solarus to decide he would rather spend some time eating, especially as he heard his mother calling.

_Yum! Bye, see ya later!_

_Yeah go already...pest...I'm still going to practice for a while._

As Goliathus turned to follow his son back inside, he looked back once, obviously pleased. The weapon was holding up extremely well. He couldn't help feel proud about it, as proud as he felt about her as he watched her ignore her hunger for the time being and shoot arrow after arrow, even watching in amusement as she would sometimes shake her head and correct her stance if she caught herself doing it wrong.

After all ten were used, she quickly gathered them up and went for another round.

He would need to make more arrows. Lots of them.

/

After one final curse word spoken loudly, Marcus finally found his treasure. As he ripped open the top of the old crate, he saw what the Shadow vampire had spoken so highly about.

It did, in all respects, look like a whistle. It was small, rounded, and with a tip on the end. The holes were oddly placed in its silvery surface, three of them. Huh. What was so special about it?  
"You sssee there? On the end?"  
Marcus grabbed the object and examined it. There was an even smaller piece of black something embedded in it...and after careful scrutiny, he realized it could only be one thing. The slight scent of sulfur further convinced him.

"Demon stone."  
"Yesss..." Drakkon chuckled, as mice hiding in the walls scurried away quickly at the sound.

"This cursed thing is damned dangerous...you know that. I really hate demon stones."

"But it will be quite effective against the heradusss...Marcusss. Your little... _sssecret weapon_... if you will."

Turning with an icy glare, the stern look in the master vampire's eyes spoke volumes. "It had better be effective."

Unfortunately, such attempts at intimidation hardly seemed to phase the Shadow vampire. It only continued to stare at him with far more evil eyes until he had no choice but to turn away and quickly creep past, clutching the whistle tightly in his fist.

Demon whistle, or...whatever this thing was actually called.

In all truth, he didn't want to know.

Uttering its name might prove disastrous.

But if it could cause his nemesis great suffering, that's all that really mattered in the long run.

/

The dreams repeated, and they never ceased. Dizzying, rapid images of black and shadow, waves of nausea that would continue on and on like the waves of the sea. The demon chuckled, wallowing deep within the beloved misery it was causing this fragile, all-too-easy mind. Goliathus had been more of a challenge...much more, than this little weakling. It had taken nearly one year of endless torture before his heart had finally turned to stone, but the demon could sense that Dinarius...poor, sweet little Dinarius...would be SO much easier. The nearly five years that would pass before he finally awoke weren't even necessary, unfortunately, there was little the demon could do about the Curse. It would have to wait.

And even though Goliathus still had his scars, etched so deeply into his mind that it knew he'd never be able to heal them fully, he was still far more sane than he wanted him to be. It was too bad, because now the wretched traitor would learn what real suffering was. While the new one went mad with the Hunger, the other would go mad with self-loathing. Or perhaps doubt.

Nonetheless, it would only be temporary. It would have both of them soon. Both of them trapped and useless under its shadowy tendrils.

Then, it would have those little brats who dared to exist.

And even better...it would then have that woman who was trying to ruin everything...who was _daring_ to get in its way.

A huge, leering grin spread over the face of the dragon head. Goliathus would kill her, of course he would. But it would be in such a way that torture could hardly describe it. And then perhaps, her own children would eat her flesh.

It sunk bank deep within the confines of Dinarius' mind, whispering its plans to him over and over again.

Relentless.

Never ceasing.

On and on and on...

/

Darry hovered over the king size bed, eyes briefly sweeping the design of the room. He didn't know why he was here now, with his sister, as she slept below, soundly.

He smiled, it was good to know that her nights were no longer tormented by nightmares. He didn't want to even think that she still had nightmares about him.

Of course, that didn't stop Patricia Jenner from planning something that anyone else would label her crazy for. She had been, for months, set and determined on finding the Creeper and destroying him once and for all. The pain of losing her brother had not only been more than she could bear, but she had decided that no one else could be lost to that monster if she had something to say about it.

Of course, her confusion was all over the place.

How to stop something that could not be killed?

He looked at piles of papers on her ornate desk, stacked high with newspaper clippings of past deaths, headlines of "Demon Bat from Hell Strikes Again"...and words of "lore", "legend", and "supernatural nonsense" adorning the articles. Many people did believe in the Creeper, but others thought he was merely a myth, and the truth was that it was yet another mysterious, psychotic serial killer that had been on the loose, with others being the copy-cat as the years went on.

If only that were true. Despite the fact this serial killer was cured of his habit, Darry wondered if it could last. He would always try his hardest to protect his sister and others like her, but it was taking every ounce out of him. He wondered how much longer he could exist here.

Sighing even though no breath existed, he silently moved down from the ceiling to the foot of her bed.

Patricia woke with a start. The air in her room had gotten profoundly colder, and she could have sworn someone called her name. Looking around she saw nothing at first, and watched a breeze from the window sway her curtains back and forth.

Except, the window wasn't open.

"Trish?"

Jerking her head towards the end of the bed, she saw the ghostly figure staring back at her, and his mouth formed into a warm smile. It was strange, how she reacted at first. All the memories of her past flooding in, reminding her of school days with her brother, playing as children with her brother, having pillow fights with her brother that he always won.

Darry. For a moment, she forgot he was even dead.

"Darry? Go back to bed."

Blinking, he laughed out right. "Uh yeah. Were you out drinking again, sis? I told you to lay off the margaritas long ago, remember?"

Darry, her impossible-to-be-around but oh-so-lovable sibling. Her other half. A part of her that had lived and died within her very soul, so painfully wrenched from her world in one horrifying, scary night.

The fear started to creep in.

Death.

Darry was dead.

This was not a dream. She was awake, and seeing a ghostly figure wavering in and out as if literally hovering in between dimensions, wearing the same yellow "Bannon" shirt that he had been wearing the last time she saw him.

It took another minute. At first, Trish's eyes became sad, so sad it was as if she had been reliving her brother's funeral all over again, like that terrible pain she felt when she realized all they had was an empty casket. As empty as her heart felt when they _buried_ that empty casket.

A tear slipped down her eye.

Darry frowned, he felt in welling up within her like a terrible, raging river.

She opened her mouth, and a horrible, chilling scream reverberated throughout the entire house.

/

End Chapter 23.

_Yes I have to be evil and do cliffhangers! And go check out "recurve bow" in Google, they are awesome! Until next chapter, dear readers!_


	24. Chapter 24

The Goliathus Chronicles

Chapter 24- Family

/

Darius Jenner frowned, staring at his sister silently as she scrambled out of her bed absolutely terrified, and backed up quickly against her wall. For a few moments she rubbed her eyes as if to be sure she wasn't dreaming, but when she opened her eyes again, the wavering image of her brother was still there.

"Darry?" she choked out in a hoarse voice. "_Darry?"_

"Yeah...calm down would you? I ain't gonna hurt ya."

"But...but Darry..." her eyes filled with tears. "Y-you can't be here...this isn't happening...ghosts aren't even _real_..."

Darry smirked, folding his arms. "Oh, I assure you they are, sis. Personal experience, it's amazing what you learn. Listen..." His expression fell again. "...you've gotta listen to me, and prepare yourself. There's a whole lot of shocking things that you're going to discover and I'm trying to make sure you don't have a psychotic episode over it." He paused. For one moment Trish saw that his eyes looked fuzzy...but it passed quickly. She noticed the lower half of her brother was far more translucent then his upper half, where his face was eerily glowing as if there was a light behind it.

She just shook her head, unsure of how to respond to what he said.

Darry glanced over to her stacks of newspapers and articles, pointing to them. "Plan on getting revenge, don't you?"

Trish followed his gaze and suddenly made a connection. Darry was going to try and stop her, wasn't he? She remembered that fateful night when the creature finally had Darry, arms tight around his neck, and she had pleaded with all her might that her life be traded to spare his. Even when her brother had been absolutely swamped in fear, his love for his sister shown through, he didn't _want_ her to try and talk the creature out of taking him.

"Don't bother Dar...just don't. Don't try and talk me out of this. You don't even know half of what I have planned. The kind of things I plan on doing when I capture that monster. He killed you Darry, and tore a part of me out of my soul. I have to make sure this doesn't happen to any more sisters and brothers...or mothers and sons...fathers and daughters...I..I just can't let it happen anymore." Tears streamed down her cheeks as she continued to gaze at him, still disbelieving and wondering if maybe she really was dreaming.

Sighing, her brother went out like a light bulb, then reappeared even closer to her. Trish forced herself not to gasp in surprise, feeling a strange static sensations spreading over her arms. She kept staring at his eyes, deep brown doe eyes that always had a way of talking her into giving him anything he wanted when they were kids.

_His eyes are still there?_

"Sis...listen to me."

"Yeah...yeah Darry I'm listening, I swear." She closed her eyes tight, fighting more tears. Good gawd, but could this all truly be real?

"The Creeper...his name is Goliathus. There is this woman, Ami...she managed to...change him...you have to believe me. But I can't sit here and tell you the whole story, I don't have much energy left. But I can do this..." he reached his arms out to her, touching her shoulders. Trish stiffened, feeling the ice cold sensation on her skin.

And then suddenly..floods of images came, images of the barn, a girl inside talking to the shriveled creature strung up like some kind of carnival display. Images of scientists,

psychologists, a strange large structure with bars and a triangular roof, and...him.

_Him._

Trish gave a shrill cry, her mind shrinking back from the sight of the Creeper. Always, always she had tried to block that horrible visage out of her mind, but she knew that if she was going to stop him she had to do research and couldn't hide from it forever. And yet...seeing it this clearly...brought back her fear of him all over again.

"Darry, stop..._STOP_..." She finally opened her eyes again, to mere slits, peering at her brother, who was barely visible.

"Trish..he's not what you think anymore. You will have to confront him..and learn for yourself."

_What..what is he talking about?_

"I forgave him sis, and someday you will have to yourself. I have to tell you more, but I'm out of time."

_The hell...? Is he fucking serious? Forgive that monster? How could I ever forgive him?_

"Darry...you can't expect me to..." her voice drifted, as she realized her brother's image had faded. He was gone just like that, and she hadn't even had a chance to say goodbye.

/

"Wake up, sleeping beauty." Marcus stood standing over the shriveled form of Dinarius, whose eyes had slowly opened as the head-claws pulled back.. "Ten years are up, time for you to get to work." He grinned wickedly, and kicked the heradus in the side. There was a wheeze, a weak snarl, and the cloudy eyes focused on him.

"You've got some humans to kill, and two little freaks of nature who should never have been born. And meanwhile..." he twirled the whistle in one hand. "...I've got a problem to finally get rid of."

Dinarius tried to think of where he was...or why he was here, but nothing would come to his mind which felt like an empty tomb. All he knew was that the Hunger was flickering inside him and then...it burst into a raging lion, pain spreading all throughout his body and demanding all of his attention. He screamed out, a pitiful, weak cry that only made Marcus chuckle.

"Now you've only got ten days...my little slave...so don't disappoint me. I'd be very unhappy if I had to wait another ten years for your pathetic self to wake up again."

Dinarius struggled to get to his feet. His breath came in wheezing, dusty drags and he looked as if he might fall over and back into unconsciousness at any moment.

"Hun-ger..." he managed, looking helplessly at Marcus.

Sighing in great annoyance, Marcus turned and left the room, leaving the damaged heradus to stare at the door, wondering what to do next. A few minutes later however, Marcus had come back, with a bloody bucket and something sloshing around inside.

"Here, eat this for now. It should suffice, and then no more delaying. You need to get out there and find those kids first...then that girl Miss Ami..."

_Kids? Ami?_

At his blank look, Marcus struck him hard across the face.

"The CHILDREN, you fool. _Navius, and Solarus._ Kill them first, and then their mother. Is that so hard to understand?" He rose his fist to strike again, but Dinarius shrank back.

"Yes...I...I under...stand..."

"Good. And don't even think you can resist. That demon has you as its puppet, and you _will_ obey." He chuckled, grinning evilly, and shoved the bucket into his taloned hands before turning and walking purposefully out of the cell door, still twirling the whistle in his fingers.

/

Navi looked down at the ground below, standing high upon the precipice of the mountain close to their home. She had watched her father jump, dive, and then spread out his enormous wingspan before flapping twice and disappearing into the cloud-filled sky.

_Now, you try it._

Her father was nowhere to be seen, but she could still clearly hear his mental sending. Navi looked around, but her eyes were moist and she put her arms around herself.

_Too...high..._

_Navi... _She felt her father's words, trying to soothe her. _You must learn to fly. Going about soaring all the time will do you no good. Those wings of yours will work, trust me._

There was no response. She dug her talons into the rock beneath her feet, and simply stared at the tiny rivets they were making.

_Navi?_

A whimper escaped her, and she looked back towards the Atrium in the distance.

_Can we go home?_

_Are you going to even try?_

_I want to go home._

_NAVI._

She looked back down over the rock, and saw the ground far below. It was weird, she was never afraid of soaring around the Atrium or going to the high ledges. She knew she had even _flown_ up to some of those ledges, or at least it felt like she had. But here...here was an entirely different matter. It was so high up...and the wind was loud in her ears...

Her voice cracked, as she spoke out loud, tears now streaming down her face.

"Too high, daddy..too high!"

In the next moment he came down from high above, whooshing down upon the precipice and sending great gusts of wind over Navi, who stumbled a few steps back as she regained her balance.

_I would never have expected...that any heradus would be afraid of heights._

She blinked up at him with wide, moist orbs of blue.

_I did not want to believe that before, but now..._

_I'm sorry...daddy..._

_I am not angry. But you must learn to overcome this. I have overcome many things...and so can you._

He reached out his arms to her and Navi hugged him tight. But his intentions were not a mere gesture of affection but rather he leapt up into the air with her, high above the clouds.

Navi did not scream but kept her eyes tightly shut as she clung to him against his chest.

And then...he suddenly dropped her.

_Now_ she screamed, flailing impulsively and instinctively turning her body around, fanning out her wings. She glided, but her direction was aimless and the wind carried her to its whims.

_Move your wings! Ride the currents, do not simply let them carry you away! _Goliathus followed her quickly, keeping a close eye. He had hoped for better, but his daughter's terror was pounding in his head and he wondered if she had even heard him.

The current carried her down, and she was fast approaching the hard earth below.

_Navi! Listen to me, flap your wings and ride the currents!_

But despite Goliathus' desperate instruction, Navi did nothing but glide haphazardly, still spiraling downwards and paralyzed from her inner turmoil.

Growling slightly he quickly dove and brought his wings tight against his body, rapidly increasing the speed of his descent. He caught up to her and grabbed her in his arms only seconds before his feet met the ground, and a bit roughly at that.

After a few minutes of stunned silence, he heard his daughter's sobs. She shrieked, kicking at him angrily and pushing away from him, tumbling onto the ground.

_Navi..._

She shrieked at him again, piercing and loud. Then she bolted towards the Atrium, leaving him standing there and wondering if he could ever make her understand what had just happened.

He watched her for a few long minutes as she ran farther and farther away, then slowly made his own way down the path.

/

Back at the Atrium, Ami was elbow-deep into her old journals and study sessions she had done with Goliathus. Julie stood nearby, helping her out and talking about some of the Resistance Tests and how they had improved over the years. There was a loud slam of the door, and Ami looked up to see her daughter crying and running to her room. The children no longer stayed in the Atrium, Ami had finally gotten them bedrooms of their own, mostly to Navius' delight. She did lover her little brother, but his cocky attitude and constant teasing had led into frequent squabbles, causing Ami to feel it was time they had a little more space between them.

Frowning, she looked over to Julie, who shrugged, shaking her head. Ami sighed and got up quickly, heading towards the bedrooms. She found her daughter's room locked and knocked quietly, but could only hear continued sobs on the other side.

_Navi? It's momma. What happened, are you OK?_

Knocking on the door again, her frown deepened. Navi was very sensitive and she knew this, but even this was more crying than usual.

_Navi..sweetie?_

_Momma!_

_Yes, I'm here. Are you OK?_

_Yes but...he dropped me! Why did he do that?_

_What? Dropped you? What do you mean? Are you talking about daddy?_

_Yes! He wanted me to go on another flying lesson, but I couldn't jump, it was so high and I was so nervous. He came down and I thought he was going to take me back home...but then we went up real high above the clouds and he just...dropped me!_

The sobs continued, and Ami felt the hairs bristle on her neck.

_Well...what happened then?_

_I just...I just fell..sort of half-gliding towards the ground...but before I crashed, daddy caught me. I was so mad at him though that I just ran away. I don't understand, momma, how he could do that to me! I was really scared..._

_Oh, oh Navi. Your father is only trying to teach you. Although him and I are going to have a discussion about it tonight, you can be sure of that. It's okay sweetie...you can come out and I'll make you some dinner. Are you hungry?_

A few more stifled sobs sounded through the door, then there was a click as she opened it.

_Yeah..._

Ami smiled warmly, gathering her into a hug. Navi wrapped her small arms around her neck as her mother carried her into the kitchen. As she warmed up some choice organ meats for her, Solarus came scrabbling onto the linoleum floor as if on cue, sniffing the air deeply.

Navi saw him over her mother's shoulder and giggled instantly at his antics.

_Oh, well, look who came out of his dungeon. _Ami raised an eyebrow at her son, grinning.

He shrugged with a wry grin and looked up at Navi, blinking his golden-bright eyes at her.

_You look a little sad..._

_Yeah, long story._

_Oh...you ok?_

_Yeah, I guess._

Solarus didn't know what else to say to his sister, he was never good at consoling. Instead, he just waited impatiently as Ami prepared their meal.

Goliathus had finally made his way back, thinking intently the whole way. He truly hoped he had not gone too far with Navius, but he had thought his plan would work. The fact that it hadn't worried him in more ways than one. Navius was extremely talented now with the bow and arrow. She loved to paint and was a natural artist like her father.

And yet...she still couldn't fly. She was afraid of heights, and didn't trust her own abilities.

_Afraid of heights...is it..a human trait? She is after all, part human..._

He sighed deeply, and caught a whiff of the meat being warmed in the kitchen. Licking his lips he lost his train of thought as the hunger set in and made his way towards the scent.

When he got there, he saw both of his children eating...and Ami was scowling at him.

He huffed, whined, and then sat at the table, knowing she was displeased with him.

_Goliathus, what the hell?_

_It was as you once told me, how in nature birds will often teach their young ones to fly by kicking them out of the nest. It seemed like a good plan._

Ami shook her head, clicking her tongue. _Except this isn't a baby bird. This is your daughter, with thoughts and feelings. Feelings that are telling me she's got an issue with heights. And you really blew it this time. How is she going to trust you the next time you try to go on a flying lesson? _

He looked over at Navi, who met eyes with him briefly, but then quickly looked away. Her expression was more hurt than angry, however, which tore at Goliathus' heart.

_I suppose I am not good at being..delicate. But you cannot teach her this Ami, so who else is there?_

_Yes I know...and sometimes I wish I __**did**__ have wings, but, all you need to do, Gollie, is remember that she's still young, and looks up to you. She's also very sensitive. Trying to force her to fly is not going to work, you'll have to come up with something else._

Goliathus only nodded at this, feeling misery build within him. What on Earth had caused him to make such a sudden, drastic decision?

_Navi...forgive me. I will not do that again. I thought it would work, but I was wholly wrong...we will have to come up with something else. But I do not want you to give up._

She turned to him, eyes softening.

_Ok daddy...I forgive you. _ She sighed, as if still very frustrated with him, but he could tell that her fear had evaporated and she was already letting the event be behind her. It was far easier then he had thought.

This child, her heart was like shining gold, something he wished his own heart could be, but knew would never happen. And yet, he smiled at her with a goofy grin, causing Navi to giggle. Solarus blinked, looking back and forth between them, chewing slowly on a piece of liver.

_Peh, I'm not scared, are you going to take ME flying, dad?_

Ami chuckled at her son, the ever fearless one. Lately Solarus had been gliding with more gusto everywhere, it certainly seemed he was up to the task far more than his sister, even though he was younger.

_Hm...maybe Solarus. And maybe you can even help your sister build confidence. That might be a grand idea, actually._

Solarus grinned through his mouthful of meat, pleased at the unexpected praise.

/

Patricia sat on her bed, sniffling and wiping the tears from her eyes. She stared and stared at the spot her brother's ghostly image had been, not knowing whether to believe what she had seen or refuse the whole situation and erase it from her mind. After all, how could Darry tell her _not_ to try and destroy that thing? To tell her it had _changed?_

She scowled, getting off the bed quickly and swiping at a pile of her collected papers, knocking them off the desk. Maybe the creature was trying to fool her, and this really wasn't Darry at all.

She watched the papers as they settled on the ground, and she titled her head curiously, catching sight of something familiar. Slowly she reached down and picked up an old, worn photograph. Looking at the picture closer she saw a silly picture of her brother with his new beat-up looking first car, standing near it with a proud and lopsided grin on his face. She remembered how unimpressed she had been with Darry's insistence to buy the old clunker, but how the car ended up being good after all. In fact, they had chosen to drive to college in it and go on a little adventurous expedition.

An expedition that had ended in tragedy.

But as Trish suddenly began to sob, it wasn't really the picture that got to her, or even the memory. It was the words he had written on it with a black Sharpie, staring back at her and proving what she had seen.

Every last moment of it.

'Trust me on this one, sis!'

/

Dinarius flew through the night air almost blindly, letting familiar scents lead him where they may. He had woken up with few memories, but they seemed to slowly be returning as little fragments, here and there.

He did remember Navius...but Solarus? There were two now? And why did he hate them so much? He couldn't remember any reason to hate them, and yet he felt nothing but a desire to kill them, and brutally. Confused he clutched his head, moaning. He heard an icy, whispered voice, and surged forward, reaching ever closer to the Atrium.

There was an emptiness as well, as for some odd reason he reached around his neck under his white mane, as if expecting something to be there. But all he felt was the surface of his rough, scaly hide. He frowned, trying hard to remember, but all he could see in his mind was blackness, swirling around like a dust storm. The hunger leapt to a new level of pain in his midsection and with a groan, he beat his wings harder, forcing himself to go faster towards the scent.

/

The Atrium became eerily quiet as the children were fast asleep and most of the lights were turned off. Ami was still awake, doing another session with Goliathus, who came to her now deeply troubled over the event earlier in the day with Navi. Ami would frown, trying to express that it was merely poor judgment and that reminding him that he had given a heart-felt apology to his offspring. Still, the heradus was in a sad mood, and this sort of mood was difficult for Ami to bear. She listened closely, as Goliathus then began to reminisce about similar situations that brought about bad judgment, such as the time with a certain older psychiatrist.

_I know you still miss her, Gollie. But...I told you, it was an accident. And I don't know if it was necessarily __**your**__ bad judgment, but more of hers._

_She trusted me. And that trust cost her her life. Is that will what will happen with Navi? She will trust me, but one day, I will be such a fool as to cause her death? _He shuddered, fighting the urge to let tears form.

_You can't possibly compare the death of Dr. Leyden with the flying lesson. She persisted, Goliathus, to get the most difficult memories out of you, the ones you didn't want to remember, because you __**knew**__ they would fill you with rage. Perhaps you even sensed she would be in danger if you told her, and so you tried to resist. But the whole reason you decided to tell her in the first place is because you cared about her._

_You care about Navi, she is your daughter and I know you love her as much as I do. I think, in a way, you need to learn from this event, and see that you need her as much as she needs you. She will teach you things about yourself that perhaps you didn't realize before, and in doing so, you will become stronger._

Ami smiled, sipping on her usual mug of tea. _And when she sees you are getting stronger, her own confidence will grow._

Goliathus looked bewildered, meeting her gaze. _She is lacking confidence because...she senses my own unease?_

_Yes...I think so. I wouldn't doubt it._

He nodded, but Ami wasn't sure what all he meant by it. Understanding , or another sense of defeat? She hoped it wasn't the latter.

Suddenly, Ami saw a growing tension in his eyes, as his head jerked to the side, and a growl erupted from his chest.

"What is it?" she whispered, staying still but eyes anxiously scanning the room. "Vampire?"

_No...it is Dinarius..._

Ami's face drained of all color. She put the mug down slowly.

For ten long years, she had tried to forget about Dinarius, and suddenly, his return was here.

What were they going to do?

_He'll go after the children, Goliathus... _Her mental voice was full of anguish.

Snarling, the huge heradus stood, claws tensing.

_He will have to get through __**ME**__ first._

_/  
_

_End of Chapter 24._

_Hey there folks! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I purposefully made it long (part of it was from the next chapter but I decided to combine it instead) and I am glad to say that this story is back on track. ;) I have ideas on how to finish it, and soon I'll get around to starting the third installment. I will appreciate your reviews with much appreciation, so let me know what you think._


	25. Chapter 25

The Goliathus Chronicles

Chapter 25- Dark Interference

/

_Navius! Solarus! You must wake up now. Wake up and __**hide.**_

Navi bolted upright in her bed, quickly looking around and not liking the amount of tension she felt from her father.

_What's going on? _Solarus was next to her, rubbing sleep from his eyes.

_Daddy said we have to hide..._

_From what? _

_I don't know..._

_**There's no time to explain. Please, you must-**_

A huge crash came from the atrium. Navi gasped and clutched her favorite pillow close to her.

_I bet it's Dinarius. Momma worries about him all the time, I sense it. He must be back._

_Dinarius? But he's on our side, right?_

_No...something went wrong with him. Dad really didn't want to go into it, but...it's something bad. I think he might try to hurt momma now._

Solarus' eyes widened at that fact, but then he growled in such a fashion that Navi tore her gaze away from the bedroom door and over to her brother in surprise. She had never heard such a sound come from him before.

_Well __**I'm **__not gonna let anyone hurt momma! _He jumped off the bed, and as quietly as he could went up the door, pressing his ear against it.

_Solarus, don't! We don't know how dangerous he is!_

Her younger sibling huffed, and kneeled down so he could sniff under the door.

_I'm not afraid! _In the next moment he leapt back from the door in reaction to another huge crash, sounding like breaking glass. Then he heard a scream from his mother. This was more then Solarus could take. He was young, but there was a great protective nature that curled around him like a cloak. He snarled, opened the door, and ran out.

_Solarus! SOLARUS! Where are you going? We're supposed to hide!_

_Come on Navi, let's go! Follow me! And take your bow and arrow, would you?_

_But where are we-_

_Just __**come on. **_

Navi sighed but jumped off her bed and ran to her closet, rooting around until she found her bow and quiver, full of newly made arrows. Then she quickly scrambled after him and just managed to catch sight of him jumping out of a high window.

/

Goliathus struggled to keep the frenzied **thing** snarling and struggling from his grasp to get any closer to Ami. She was huddled in a corner, arms wrapped around herself as she begged and pleaded for Dinarius to stop and realize what he was doing. But Goliathus saw no recognition in those eyes, and truth be told, he himself saw no heradus, but a frantic, writhing beast with one soul intent on its mind. With speed and power Dinarius did not have before, he had literally crashed right through the Atrium's triangular roof as if it were delicate china. Goliathus had never been able to break the bullet-proof plexiglass-like material, no matter what kind of rage he had been in.

_What kind of power is this? _

_Oh, Gollie! Gawd! That look in his eyes! _Ami had blanched white at the sight of his once gentle face. It reminded her very much of one of those Shadow Vampires, and of one in particular that had laughed at her when she screamed in pain...eyes full of fury, hatred, and frenzied madness. Dinarius' once blue eyes were dark like ominous thunderclouds, he truly looked demonic in every sense of the word.

_You must get the children...Ami...find..them..and...hide.._

Ami looked at him helplessly, she didn't want to leave him here, struggling with Dinarius' new-found and unreal strength, but she knew she had no choice. The other heradus was reaching towards her desperately with clawed hands, foaming at the mouth and eyes impossibly wide.

Quickly she got up and bolted, heading towards the bedroom door of her children, glad that for whatever reason Solarus had fallen asleep in his sister's room this time after their usual bedtime story.

She left none too soon, for in that moment Dinarius screamed in his utter insanity and snapped his wings loudly, breaking free from Goliathus' hold on him. He tried to go after her, but the King heradus would have none of it and grabbed fistfuls of his long white mane, tugging hard and tearing one handful out. Screeching, the other spun about and kicked out with his taloned foot, stabbing Goliathus in his face and almost blinding one eye.

High on adrenaline, he was practically immune to the pain and only reacted by grabbing the foot in the next moment and twisting, trying to break it off. Dinarius growled in a voice far too deep to be his own, and grabbed a nearby metal chair, breaking its legs off into sharp harpoons and driving them deep into Goliathus' back and partly into the floor. Searing pain spread up and down his back but even though he desperately tried to get up, he was held fast to the floor as if chained there. As Dinarius hissed at him in a small measure of victory, he quickly headed back after Ami, not wasting any time.

Goliathus howled in his anguished fury.

/

Navi slowly climbed up to the window, digging her claws into the wall as best she could, and looked down. She frowned, not only was her brother nowhere in sight, she couldn't even see the ground below.

_Solarus? Where are you?_

_I'm down here, I glided! Come on!_

_I...I can't even see you down there..._

They both stopped as they heard the loud cry from within. _Is that daddy?_

_Just glide down! Now! Do you have the arrows?_

Navi shifted the quiver slightly on her shoulder, adjusting the strap. _Yes, of course._

_Good. Cause you're gonna need them! And I...I'm going to use __**this**__._

She heard a slight metallic click. _What? What is it? _

_One of dad's knives, of course. It's got on iron tip on it, like your arrows do. _Suddenly Navi heard something behind her, and Solarus heard it too. _Hurry! Before he finds you in the window!_

Navi tried hard to overcome her fear and swallowed hard.

_This is just a glide, I can do it, I can do it..._

She jumped, opened her wings, and glided down rather smoothly. Unfortunately her landing was a little rough as she managed to fall right on her brother, who tumbled backwards.

_Ow! Geez, watch it, would you?_

_Sorry! Sorry... _Navi collected a few of the arrows which had fallen out of her quiver and then her brother's hand had grabbed her and he pulled her along as they ran.

But instead of heading away from the Atrium, Solarus led her around the perimeter, stopping to sniff occasionally, before nearing the main entrance. He looked up at the broken Atrium roof.

_If we can get up there, we can use it to get a birds-eye view and hit Dinarius with our weapons!_

_But he's not a vampire, Solarus! It won't do anything to him._

_Hey we'll think of something, but we have to try! _

_But you mean...climb...all the way..up there? _She frowned, almost pouting, as she looked up at the roof which seemed a mile high.

_Not climb...__**fly**__. We both are._

_/_

Ami reached the door and shoved through it, nearly breaking it down entirely. She stopped dead in her tracks, seeing the empty bed and crumpled blankets.

_Navi? Solarus? _She looked under the bed, in the closet, everywhere, but they were gone.

Trembling, she could only hope they had gone to their little secret cave outside, and she tore out of the room, down the hallway and to the exit, going right past the line of higher windows and not even noticing that one had been opened.

She almost made it to the door when she heard the clicking of claws on the floor behind her, and then felt a strong arm wrap around her neck, choking the breath out of her in an instant.

/

Navius shook her head at her brother, her lower lip trembling.

_I can't fly all the way up there, and neither can you!_

_Yes, I can. I know I can. We __**have**__ to Navi, dad...and momma...they're both in trouble._

_They need us..._

_Yeah, you've got to get up there, Navi. You just have to. Now stand back...I'm going to try first._

Solarus crouched as if ready to run in a race, took a deep breath, and flapped his small and as of yet underdeveloped wings as hard as he could. He lifted off the ground, and slowly gained height, but it was exhausting. Feeling the muscles in his wings starting to burn, he looked up and was dismayed to learn that he had barely gotten halfway there. The distance was a lot higher than he had even realized.

He looked back down at Navi, who watched him with a turmoil of emotion in her eyes. She was anxious, terrified, and sad all at the same time, and worried about momma most of all.

So was he, but he knew he had to be brave now, dad had said that to him all the time.

_You must always be brave, Solarus. Brave and determined. You will one day be stronger then your sister, and you will become what we are meant to be...a guardian. You most always look out for your sister._

_And momma too?_

_Yes, and your mother. Always. Protect and cherish those who love you, as I have learned to do._

Breathing harder now, Solarus pushed himself further and beat his wings harder, but the lift was painfully slow. The muscles on his back felt like they were on fire, but he was getting closer...

_Come on, Solarus, you can do- _Navi stopped her mental sending abruptly, hearing her father's voice. He was not aiming at anyone in particular, but his anguish was impossible to miss.

_Solarus! I think daddy is hurt, it's like he can't move. _She looked up and sucked in a breath as she saw Solarus inches from the top. He reached out, managing to grab onto one of the bars and pulled himself up onto it, perching.

_You did it!_

_Get up here! Quickly!_

She didn't like the panic in his voice. Navi unfurled her wings, larger and far more developed then her brother's and copied him, beating them as hard as he had.

She found herself lifting fast, and in seconds, was far past the roof.

Gasping, she tried to remember how to get down and folded her wings slightly against her sides, which caused her to drop rather quickly. She stifled a scream as she rushed up to meet the hard titanium structure, but managed to grab onto a bar, albeit painfully as she knocked one of her knees hard against it.

_Owch._

_You ok? _Solarus flashed a grin at her success but quickly pointed to his right. From up here Navi could see her father directly below, pinned to the ground and struggling to get free, and to the right where her brother pointed, was her mother, down on her back with Dinarius holding her there and both hands attempting to choke the life out of her.

_**Momma!**_

_The arrows, use the arrows!_

_But I can't aim from this angle..._

_Just try anyway, Navi! _Solarus readied his knife, and carefully hopped from one bar to another, trying to get into a better line of sight. He hoped he could hit, just anywhere.

He looked at the weapon intently.

_You've got to hit...please._

He closed his eyes for a moment, as if praying, then suddenly just before he let go, he heard a sound much like a cawing crow.

There was a flurry of feathers, and a large black bird landed near him. It had a strange white star on its head.

_Throw. Throw. Starcrow, help._

Solarus blinked at this sudden visitor, but the bird's star symbol began to glow slightly. He looked back towards the attacking heradus, narrowed his eyes, and let the knife fly. It surged forward as if by some unseen force, and slammed into Dinarius' neck, burying to the hilt.

_Got 'im!_

Solarus jumped up and down on the bar with his sister but their joy was short-lived. Dinarius howled, pulled the weapon from his neck. Dark blood like ink poured from him and he turned his head, looking up and staring right at Solarus, snarling.

_Uh-oh..._

_FLY! FLY!_

The raven leapt into the air and Solarus wasn't going to argue with the bird, he went after him, once again flapping his wings hard as he could but barely going anywhere.

Navius had been poised, ready to fire an arrow, when she saw the bird leave.

_FLY! FLY!_

Swallowing back her fear yet again, she quickly put her arrow back and jumped with wings flared, amazed even at herself with how fast she gained height. She saw Solarus struggling and picked him up in her arms, finding his weight was not too much and she could manage with the two of them, all the while trying her hardest not to look down. Meanwhile Starcrow led them, darting into forest for cover and then back out again, making it very hard to keep up as he kept twisting and turning in his direction.

_Bird, wait up!_

_Bird? Bird? Starcrow. Raven. Follow!_

_Starcrow?_

_He helped me Navi, he made the knife hit him I know it!_

_So it wasn't you?_

_I don't think so, or maybe it was, but he just made it hit harder. I don't know, but that's one seriously cool bird. He glows like he's magical!_

_CAAW. Starcrow, raven. Not BIRD._

Solarus chuckled, but Navi was starting to panic as her own wings were now starting to burn from the effort. She panted, trying hard to keep her tears at bay, and slowly started to fall behind.

_I'm so tired, Solarus. And hungry... _as if on cue, her stomach growled.

_Yeah me too...but you gotta keep going...you realize you're flying now? _He said with optimism, trying his best to keep her spirit high.

_But where's Dinarius? _She hardly seemed to care that she was indeed flying, even though their progress was slow.

_I think he's real close...Starcrow do you see him?_

_Fly! Fly! _The raven urged, not stopping in its direction.

_I think we'd better keep up!_

_But I can't...so tired...my wings __**hurt...**_

Solarus huffed, squirming. _Let me go then, and I'll fly on my own. It would give you a break at least, right?_

Navi was far too tired to argue with her brother, knowing he could fly for only short periods. But she let him go anyway, and he glided down for a moment, then flapped back up to their level. Just watching her brother was adding to her own fatigue. He tried hard, but he was still too small. Still, she couldn't help but manage a faint grin. Her brother was one tough little lion who just wouldn't give up, no matter what. She longed to be like him.

/

Back at the Atrium, Goliathus had finally managed to wrench himself free from the chair, even though it meant ripping two giant holes in his chest. His breathing labored, he went to check on Ami first. He found her, sitting on the floor and rubbing her neck, coughing.

_Are you all right, love?_

_I'm..fine..I think... _She coughed again, frowning. _Where's Dinarius?_

_He...he went after the children..Solarus managed to hit him with one of my knives, but it was Starcrow who helped, I heard him._

Ami's unrelenting worry eased, just a bit. _Starcrow is with them?_

_Yes. Even then I could hear his caw, nice and loud in my ears. _He chuffed, rubbing one ear in emphasis.

_Well then, if Starcrow is here, then the Ring of Dark fire is close behind. _A slow smirk spread across her lips.

_Hm..true. Even I do not know what that Ring is capable of. But Ami..I must go after them, and you must find someplace to hide._

_I don't think I will be safe anywhere, I've realized that now. No matter where I go Dinarius could sniff me out, or Marcus would find me. You know he wants my head as much as Donovan did._

Goliathus could only stare at her, she was right. It was a painful fact that could not be denied, not with all that had transpired. And it seemed her own fears were slowly dwindling, he could feel how she was becoming stronger and sick to death of it all, wanting all of this to end as much as he did.

_I guess I'm going with you, Gollie. _She walked slowly over to a large metal cabinet door, and fished around for a key in the desk below. Finding it, she opened the door and pulled out a bunch of knives, shurikens, and other assorted weapons, handing them over to him. Goliathus couldn't help the slight purring sound that came from deep within him as he ran his fingers over their smooth surfaces before putting them in his pockets.

_First, let's get you a meal to heal those wounds. Then... _she grabbed one more weapon from the cabinet, a shotgun, and cocked it.

..._let's go get our children._

_/_

End of Chapter 25.

_Whew, hoped you liked this installment! I did the best I could getting it together and it was not easy for me, not sure I'm entirely happy with it. And no, I haven't forgotten about Marcus, he'll be rearing his loathsome vampire head in the next chapter._


	26. Chapter 26

The Goliathus Chronicles

Chapter 26- Dreams of Dark Mages

/

The squeak of a chair's metal legs was the only sound echoing in the Atrium. Julie, still crouched under a desk, had peeked out just enough to see all the chaos that had transpired. The last thing she saw was Ami and Goliathus gathering weapons and quickly leaving.

Now she took a deep breath as she realized she was, for the moment, safe. However, she still trembled all over, knowing the danger all of her friends were facing. There had to be _something_ she could do to help them. Slowly she crawled out and sat on the chair, thinking intently while blinking her big brown eyes. Then, the thought struck her.

_Jezelle! I bet she can help...Ami goes on about what an amazing gift that woman has. Maybe she has had other dreams and can give me some advice on what can be done...I have a bad feeling that those two don't realize the tricks that Marcus is capable of..._

Julie walked over to a closet, grabbed a coat, and quickly walked outside, heading for her black Jetta.

/

Starcrow's leading flight seemed endless. Navius was in such pain she could barely fly anymore, but somehow she kept going on sheer willpower alone. At some point, Solarus had started to fall, but since Navi was so tired she could no longer hold him up effectively. Eventually, Starcrow once again eerily started to glow, as he seemed to be using some kind of magic, and Solarus said it was like somebody was holding him up, even though there was nothing but air around him.

_Not long, not long. Too much energy. Cannot use too long. Caw._

_Starcrow? How much father do we have to go? We have to eat soon..._

_Not far, Navi. Go to labyrinth, yes?_

Navi blinked, her face crinkling in confusion. _Labyrinth?_

She wondered where Dinarius was. Had he given up, gone back after momma? Or was he just trailing them, waiting to strike? She looked over her shoulder, but saw nothing but blackness and some glittering stars above.

_/_

The black Jetta sped down Route 9 at a dangerously fast speed, but truth be told, Julie didn't care. She knew full well that time was off the essence. Finally, she spotted the little home of the old woman around the next bend. It was a quaint, Victorian-style house that looked old and worn, with a few dried up gardens in the front. Julie pulled into the gravel driveway and quickly got out of the car, heading for the door, she knocked, but no one answered. Looking back at the driveway she did see Jezelle's car, and old boat of a Lincoln Towncar, but it seemed it hadn't been used in a very long time. Sighing, Julie called again, but still answer.

Then, she heard something, and pressed her ear against the door. It was the sound of a radio playing...no, a record player..she could tell from the tinny sound. Julie tried the handle, the door was unlocked. Quietly she walked in, hoping not too startle the old lady if she was in the bathroom or something.

"Ms. Hartman? Are you in here?"

There was a creak of something that sounded much like a rocking chair and the music stopped.

"Yes...child. You come on in over here to my livin' room. I knew you'd come."

Julie sighed in relief, rubbing her hands together to try and quell some of her unease. It wasn't Jezelle at all that made her nervous, it was the whole situation at hand.

"Thank you, Ms. Hartman."

As she walked in towards the left, she saw Jezelle rocking back and forth on her chair, looking right in her direction.

"Now, now none of that 'Ms. Hartman' business. You just go on and call me Jezelle. Have a seat on that couch in front of me."

Julie sat on a worn, brown leather couch and smiled at her, but there was obvious worry written all over her features.

Jezelle had a calm but intent look on her own face.

"Jezelle...you said you know why I'm here?"

"Hmmm." She nodded, and picked up a mug of coffee next to her, sipping at it for a while and gazing out the window to her left. "Darn flower beds, always drying up on me. Guess I'm not much of a gardener. You want some coffee, Ms. Tamson?"

Julie's eyes widened. She had never told this woman her last name.

"Uhm...yes, nice and strong, black with-"

"-no sugar. Yes I know." Jezelle got up with a warm smile, and headed to the kitchen.

Julie watched her, amazed.

_This woman is the real deal, a bonified psychic. How many of those actually exist? You'd never see her on television or reading people's palms at carnivals._

In a few minutes Jezelle was back, and handed her the warm mug.

Julie sniffed the rich brew, closed her eyes and grinned.

"Thanks, I need this."

"No problem, my dear. Now, what you want ta' ask me?"

After a few more sips, she looked the old woman right into her eyes, trying to keep herself composed.

"Goliathus and Ami they...they've gone after this other heradus, Dinarius. Seems the demon's got 'em. But then there's Marcus-"

"Yes Marcus Valiant. One would never have even known he existed had Goliathus not come back to his true self. Humans would have continued to die by his hand regardless...you know half the missing posters in this county are because of those vampires? " Jezelle sighed, looking down at the floor. "The world is so _naive_, Julie. If only they knew half the things that exist, or had existed, they would wonder what kind of planet they really were on."

Julie could only nod. "I guess I'm one of the lucky few who knows some of those things, with what I've seen. Or maybe it's that I'm unlucky..."

"Well, that's all a matter of perspective, isn't it? Sometimes these dreams of mine really do help people. And sometimes, no matter how hard I try, people end up dead anyway." Tears starting to brim in the old black woman's eyes, and Julie frowned.

"You still blame yourself over Darry? Jezelle, what could you have done about it?"

The psychic grabbed a tissue off of the small lamp table beside her, dappled her eyes and suddenly it was like she never cried at all. She didn't answer the question.

"Now Miss Julie you listen well, to what I'm gonna tell you. I realized something just a few days ago, when I had an incredible dream like none other."

"Yeah, what was it?" Julie didn't even notice that she was leaning forward.

"I saw a circle of ten men, all wearing mysterious dark robes with silver emblems. They stood around a table with a woman on it, and the woman was me."

Julie blinked, perplexed. "What...what does that mean?"

"I didn't know at first, but I looked up at one in particular, who stood out from the rest. He had eyes like blazing silver mixed with blue, and a large raven perched on his shoulder, with a star on its head."

_Starcrow?_

"Yes, Starcrow..." Jezelle said before Julie could even open her mouth. "...the animal familiar that Goliathus had chosen. But see that wasn't the purpose of the dream. The purpose was so that he could talk to me...this man named Maniel...a Dark Mage."

Julie nodded. "Gollie's spoken of him. This man was supposed to be his father, in a sense."

"Oh he **was** his father Julie. And he said that he chose me, to be a guardian to his son's children, especially Navius."

The other woman remained silent, waiting for her to continue.

"I do know now that it's important, and that it certainly is the intent of the Mages that the heradus race is reborn, so that the vampires can finally be erased from this world. But the first part of my mission is to tell you how to stop Marcus once and for all, and how to cure Dinarius of the demon's effects."

Julie waited, sitting tense on the old couch and eyes as intent as a little child listening to an amazing book being read to her.

"All I know is...there is some kind of talisman Goliathus should be wearing. Maniel showed it to me, it was on a large heavy chain, and the talisman was in the image of Starcrow, all shiny like black lacquer with a ruby for the eye and a diamond for the star. This object though...it has many spells on it, spells that took the Circle of Dark Mages years and years to complete. It was how they forged the Ring of Dark Fire, and it has connections to Starcrow most of all, of course, since he's the leader. But if Goliathus has this talisman, and Starcrow and the other birds with him, it will unleash their full potential. And also, it will allow him to communicate with the spirits of the Mages." Jezelle paused, sipping her coffee and going silent for several minutes. Julie could have screamed for her to continue when finally she started speaking again in her soft, southern accent.

"Dark Fire Julie is powerful, _powerful_ stuff. It can wipe out several vampires at once if unleashed correctly."

"But what is Dark Fire, exactly?"

"Well it's fire that has been empowered by pure dark magic. Vampires don't like fire, it can harm them, even if temporary. But Dark Fire...they have little power against it. It will burn them clean to ashes in a second at its full potential."

"Wow, that's amazing-"

"But it comes at great sacrifice, as Maniel told me. He died trying to complete the talisman, so great was the drain on his own energy, and many of his colleagues died too."  
"Oh...my gawd..." Julie put a hand over her mouth.

"Hmm. You see, child, Maniel was one very powerful man. The Dark Mages were a rare breed of warlocks who used their powers for good. But Dark Magic is a very risky force, and is more easily used for evil. You try and change that, it sucks the life right out of you. There was only so much that Maniel could do to protect himself, and eventually, he succumbed to its demands. But in the end, he succeeded, and created that talisman and completed the Ring. Unfortunately, he never did get to give it to Goliathus."

Julie nodded, eyes moist and nodding. "Because those cruel humans took him away and tortured him."

"Yes..." Jezelle finished her coffee, and got up from her chair, sitting next to her on the couch.

"Julie, use your mind and contact Goliathus. You can tell him all that I told you because you will surely die if you try and go after them. You must stay here and help them by relaying information."

"But why can't you do it, Jezelle?"

"Because I'm too old, and I don't have the stamina for it. These dreams the Mages are giving me might just be the last I will ever have before I lose the gift entirely."

Julie wondered, if this was considered a bad thing, or a release from a burden.

"All right Jezelle, I can try...but it's never worked for me."

"I'll help you, child. I'll sit right here. Now, you go on and start trying. There's little time."

/

Navius and Solarus continued to follow Starcrow for what seemed like endless miles. Finally, the neared what looked like a simple forest clearing and the raven quickly swooped down towards it.

Navius wanted to scream for joy, they were _finally_ landing. Solarus looked over at her and grinned, the feeling obviously mutual.

Once they were upon the damp earth, Starcrow, standing on his little black feet in the dead center, looked up at them, tilting his head to the left and right. Navius fell on the ground and literally kissed the damp earth.

"Well? What happens now?"

_Give me time! Spell. Door._

Navi arched a brow, stood up and folded her arms. "Didn't you say there was a labyrinth here? I don't see anything."

Solarus looked around for a while, rubbing his aching shoulders. He sat down Indian style near Starcrow, patting him on his feathery head.

The raven poofed up, making little caws out loud.

The young heradus chuckled, but still looked around nervously.

_You've got to hurry, Starcrow, before Dinarius finds us. I don't even know how he managed to fall behind considering how slow we were going!_

The mental voice was Navius, clutching her elbows and eying the sky constantly.

_Slow? No...teleport, teleport. Far, far away._

Solarus looked over at his sister and shrugged. _I don't remember teleporting..._

_Neither do I..._

They looked back at the bird, who finally started glowing, and fiercely. As he did, several of his glossy black feathers fell, slowly drifting to the ground.

_Arrows._

Navius reached down, picking up the feathers. _You want me to use these on my arrows?_

_Caaaw. _

She shrugged, but starting to look around on the forest floor for something to tie the feathers on with.

Meanwile, Starcrow continued to glow, and suddenly the ground rumbled, clearing away several inches of dirt. The raven then fell over, as if dead, but he was panting.

"You ok, little bird?" Solarus plucked him up and noticed something metal right below him.

"Hey, Navi, look at this!"

Navi turned, having found some pieces of straw that would make halfway decent ties for the feathers.

"What?"  
"It looks like there's some kind of door here! Help me lift it."

Together the two of them pulled on a large metal ring, and struggled, but it barely moved.

"I...I'm too tired..."

"Me too. So hungry. I bet if we ate something, we'd have a lot more strength, then we could open this thing."

Solarus looked around, sniffing the air. "I do smell something...is it deer?"

"Hm, I don't know..." Navi sniffed the air too. "But I guess we better go find out. You seem to have a better nose than me, Sollie, so lead the way."

He grinned pridefully at that remark, and led the way towards the scent, deeper into the forest, and with Starcrow nestled under his arm.

/

Dinarius was crouched in the woods, only yards away, and intently watching the kids like a wild jaguar ready to pounce while he waited for his next command. Nearby a terrifying form, hovering a few feet above the ground, was next to him, its red eyes giving off an eerie glow in the night as black tendrils like writhing snakes moved all about its body.

"Drakkon.." another form whispered. "Now don't go getting too anxious."

"Marcusss..." it hissed, the grin on its horrid face unnaturally wide. "...thossse children will lead usss straight into the Dark Magesss secretsss..."

"Well, we're counting on that anyway. And from the look of things, that blasted raven is getting weaker. You should be able to deal with him easily." He gave a chuckle. "Good job on copying those teleportation spells, by the way."

A pleasured hiss was the response. Marcus only shivered, he truly hated those damned Shadows. But if he was going to become the most powerful vampire around, he had little choice but to use their help in this situation.

After that...he might just try and eliminate _them_, as well.

/

_Over here, over here! _Solarus gave a little happy jump as they came over a small grassy knoll. There were deer in a small herd, mostly does with fawns, and one big buck watching over them. The children were upwind, but the animals could smell nothing unusual, as they carried no scent that would identify them as a threat. They continued grazing, oblivious.

_Aw man, I am SO getting the liver._

Navi elbowed him. _Let's __**catch**__ one first. And we won't bother chasing them, we wouldn't get three yards since we're so tired. _She took the quiver off her shoulder.

_See? Those arrows are already gonna come in handy._

Navi rolled her eyes and lined up her first arrow, stretching back on the string of the bow. Poised in a perfect, graceful maneuver she let it fly after a moment of concentration, and the arrow almost soundlessly whipped through the air. There was a slight glow from the feather attached and the arrow seemed to be following a straight course as if on a string. The arrow struck a doe deep in her neck, and the animal only managed one startled grunt as she collapsed.

The other deer could still see nothing, but the scent of fresh blood caused them to scatter instantly, and they quickly disappeared. A tiny fawn lingered nearby, instinctively staying by its mother's side.

_Wow. Good one, sis._

Navi blinked, pulling another out and examing it. _Did you see it? The feather glowed!_

_Well duh, it came off of Starcrow, didn't it? _He patted the bird again who was still under the crook of his arm, and the raven once again poofed out happily.

_He hee. I think he likes you, Solarus._

_Well, he's awesome. I hope daddy will let us keep him, like a pet._

_Pet? Pet! _Starcrow squawked, indignant.

Navi laughed softly, and hurried towards the deer and fawn, with Solarus close on her eyes. They quickly set to work tearing open the animals and squabbling over the organs, all the while giving little bits to their new avian friend, who greedily gobbled them down.

All the while, three sets of eyes continued to watch their every move.

/

_Can you pick up their scent? _Ami was clutched tightly to Goliathus as he winged through the air.

_I smell Navi's shampoo. And Solarus, he always smells like liver. _

Ami giggled. _That's our children all right. One's the neat freak, the other has sweet dreams of organ meats. What ever happened to sugar plums?_

A snort. _Sugar plums? What awful kind of concoction is that, may I ask?_

Ami's giggling turned into a chuckle despite herself. _Uhm, never mind. Just hurry and find them..._she gripped her shotgun a little tighter, though she wondered if this weapon would do much good in the long run.

_Starcrow's energy, it was odd...weaker, and now stronger again. I have tried to contact him, but he must be far away, he does not answer, nor do the children._

_He must have used a spell. What if you lose the scent? _Ami stiffened a little, worried.

_I still sense them...regardless...they have headed south. I will keep going until I find them. There is something that is pulling me, as I knew once...long ago...that something important is past those mountains._

Ami looked out ahead and could only see the barest silhouette of those mountain tops. It seemed very far off.

_Goliathus..._

_Yes?_

_You need to teleport. You've done it before._

He blinked, thinking. _I do not know how I managed it before, I was very worried about you, and angry._

_So you managed do to it out of raw emotion._

_Yes, perhaps._

_Then I need to make you mad._

He looked down at her. _Why would I be mad at you?_

_No, think about something that would make you mad. Like a Shadow vampire, grabbing your daughter._

He growled a little. _To even touch her? I would tear its arm off._

_Yeah, me too. And then imagine if it grabbed Solarus too._

He snarled now, the images playing out in his mind as Ami knew they would. She of course hated to do this, she didn't want to think of such things either. But she had to get Goliathus to teleport, or they might never find them in time.

_And then it took our children to an underground prison...much like yours..._

His eyes widened, and his breathing quickened.

_And they decided that perhaps they would do to your kids exactly as the members of the church did to you..and for three hundred and sixty five days...tortured them..._

Goliathus screamed out his unearthly wail, his anger flaring and burst forward in a surge of speed.

Oh, by the gods, but to even think that would be the fate his children could suffer!

He flapped his wings, harder and harder, as the wind whistled sharply and almost painfully in Ami's ears.

Then, in a blinding flash, the sky warped around them.

/

End of Chapter 26.

_Whoa! I had one hell of a brainstorm today! This is only a small part of what is to come and I've even got several parts of the third story played out in my head. Please continue those kind reviews, I adore them so and they keep me writing! :)_


	27. Chapter 27

The Goliathus Chronicles

Chapter 27- The Great Room

/

The metal ring was attached to a huge door of absolutely ancient construction, and its stubborn nature certainly proved it. Navius and Solarus, even with their energy restored from the venison recently consumed found it difficult to budge the entrance to the labyrinth.

_I think my arms are going to fall off if I try to pull this thing any harder!_

_We can't give up, Solarus, keep trying!_

Starcrow, perched on Navi's shoulder, seemed to be trying to help, but his magic seemed to get weaker each time he used it. Navius frowned, she wondered if the bird was at risk of falling ill or even dying. It didn't seem like an ordinary raven by any means, but she couldn't help but notice that more feathers kept falling off each time the magic was used. He now had bald spots all over him and frequently opened his beak, panting. The night air was anything but hot, in fact, it was pretty chilly, though neither of the heradus children seemed to be bothered by it.

She stopped pulling for a moment to reach up and pat his black head, but the raven cawed loudly in protest.

_No stop! No stop! Pull!_

Sighing, Navius complied. She looked over at her brother and he seemed worried too as he met her gaze.

Then their was a loud creaking sound followed by an echo, as the door started to finally come loose, followed by a rush of dank-smelling air from below.

_Okay ready, Sollie?_

_Yeah, if you are!_

_Let's pull REAL hard this time, and I think we'll get it open._

They grabbed the ring once more, counted to three in unison, and pulled as hard as they might. The door once again creaked loudly and began to move towards them. All at once the huge weight of the door became evident as it now starting to lean on them.

_Quickly! Let go and jump to the side as fast as you can!_

They once again counted to three, let go, and dived to opposite sides. The door came crashing down where they stood in an instant with a heavy thud that sent clumps of dirt flying.

_Whew. We did it..._

The two children slowly crawled to the edge and peered in, seeing nothing but darkness.

_Follow Starcrow. Caw? _With that the raven dove in and disappeared in the blackness, only the sound of its wings could be heard echoing throughout.

_I can see something but it's SO dark in there...how are we supposed to know where we're going? _Solarus asked.

_It's creepy down there...is Starcrow sure about this?_

Suddenly a light flashed, and they heard Starcrow cawing for them again to follow. They gasped at the sight before them, it was huge, like a cavern. The walls were dripping with moisture in some spots, and there were was an ancient stairway leading down and they could just see a pathway at its foot.

_Well, now or never I guess._

Solarus went first, ever bold and curious. He took a step down, then another, then decided on gliding the rest of the way and Navi watched as he soared all the way to the bottom.

_Come on, Navi, it seems safe._

She sighed with a huff. _Why is it ALWAYS from so high up? _Once again she opened her wings and gathering all her courage, glided down. Now she could see Starcrow, standing on the ground and once again panting heavily. He turned and walked down the path, and they followed him.

_Where are we going now?_

_To Great Room...Great Room!_

_Great Room? What's that?_

_Mages use. Secret room. _He pointed forward with one wing.

Solarus flashed his pointy little teeth into a grin. _This sounds like fun is you ask me. A secret room? Remember you read to me the "Secret Garden" once?_

_Yeah, well, that's different, Solarus. __**Much**__ different. This is no garden. I still say its spooky down here._

_Yeah kinda...but dad would love it!_

Dad. Navius stopped, looked behind her. She missed her parents, and hoped they would find them soon. There was just some sense of lingering dread that she couldn't shake, and it wasn't just about Dinarius.

/

"Sssso...that part was true, wasssn't it? Only a Mage or a heradusss could open that door." Drakkon slowly made his way over to the open laybrinth, and cautiously gazed inside, his red eyes wide. "We were wissse to wait."

"Yeah..except...they left it open. That was kind of foolish." Marcus chuckled, and went to take a step onto the stairway. Drakkon suddenly grabbed him, and pushed him away hard enough that he landed squarely on his back.

"What the _fuck_ was that for?" He quickly leapt to his feet, hissing at the Shadow vampire.

"Easssy Marcusss. You would be the foolisssh one if you truly have forgotten the many, many spells we would encounter here." A thin and slinky tendril crept forward, and touched the first step. There was a jolt like electricity, causing Drakkon to jerk away quickly. He hissed again, and his eyes narrowed into slits.

"No...this will not be posssible unlesss I break the spellssss."

Marcus muttered a profanity under this breath and spat at the ground. "Damn those Dark Mages, I hope their souls are all rotting in hell. Well...will this take you long?"

Drakkon smiled wide, not looking at him. "Doubtful...the spellsss are in tact, but old...and _weak_." With that he began chanting, and his body started to give off a dull, red glow.

Meanwhile Dinarius, behind them, cried out as the Hunger once again demanded to be fed.

/

They were now deep into the labyrinth, and Solarus sniffed the air, noticing the strange scent of something akin to rusty metal and rot.

_That's weird, what is it?_

Starcrow cawed weakly, still choosing to walk. _Dark. Magic. _

_Dark Magic has a smell? _He shook his head. _That's just odd._

_I agree... _Navi was close to her brother, constantly looking around nervously. She saw many piles of very old bones piled along the edges of the pathway, small ones, like those of animals...but decided not to ask about it. After walking for several more minutes in silence, Starcrow stopped, and the so did the children, gazing down curiously at him.

The bird turned to face them, panting, and looked directly at Solarus.

_Starcrow use magic, show you secret room. Go in. Find... dark talisman. Find...book. Then out._

This was the most Navi heard him say in a single mental sending, and she felt that it was extremely important to listen to everything this raven told them. She could feel his anxiousness...she knew as well as him that time was running out fast.

The magic...every time the raven used it he got weaker. She almost wanted to shake her head and tell him not to do this anymore, but of course they had no choice. Dinarius, crazed and possessed by a demon, was certainly of grave concern, but she had sensed others...two of them...and one of a great and evil force that rivaled even the demon. She didn't want to tell Solarus, worried it might distract him too much.

_Ok Starcrow, got it. Be careful little bird, ok? _

The raven squawked and started to turn around, slowly, in complete circles, all the while glowing brightly, causing both children to shield their eyes briefly. There was a rumble like an earthquake, and to the right another door appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. As the rumbling continued, the ground beneath them started to crack, and the door gave off an eerie silver glow while Starcrow continued to circle and caw loudly. As both children watched in fascination, they could see that there was a hooded figure on the door holding a silver ring. Then, the rumbling stopped suddenly and the door opened as if pushed in by a great unseen force, followed by an even more pungent odor of rot and metal. Solarus took a small step forward, craning his neck to see inside. The room was mysteriously lit by black candles, all around the circumference of the room.

Stacrow, his head low and beak open, ambled towards Solarus and collapsed by his taloned foot.

_Oh no... _He picked him up, gently cradling him once again under his arm. _He's out cold._

Navi looked on sadly, but turned and this time she was the first to lead the way as she headed towards the room.

_You remember what he said? We have to find those items, and then get out._

_What happens if we stay in there too long?  
I don't know...I'm not sure if he means we just don't have time or if something bad would happen, maybe the magic in here is too strong. You look for the book, Solarus, and I'll look for the talisman._

_Uhm...but what do they look like? He never told us!_

_Good point..but I have a hunch we'll know when we see them._

_/_

Goliathus and Ami were now much closer to the mountains that they had seen in the distance. Ami couldn't help but grin to herself, her plan had worked. Although...it did leave a slightly bitter taste in her mouth. She looked up at Goliathus' face only to see an anxious look still plastered there as he flew on. It was something she never wanted to have to do to him again.

_How much further, Gollie?_

The heradus seemed to come out of whatever trance of thought he was having, and grunted softly. He actually seemed tired.

_Not sure...but hungry now. Very hungry._

Ami nodded, not surprised in the least. _You used some powerful magic there, but something tells me that's only a taste of what you really can do. Still...with great power comes great demand...I guess we better go find some local wildlife._

Goliathus nodded in agreement but then looked confused, turning his head slightly as if expecting to see someone behind him. There was a voice...so faint and distant...he had been noticing it here and there, but not really paying attention. Now though, there came with it a distinct feeling of urgency.

_Is it you, Darius?_

To that there was no response, but he heard it again, sounding female...and familiar.

_Jezelle?_

_...yes...but...with..me..hear..._

Ami noticed, and poked him in the side.

_What is it? I kind of hear something in the background...like a bad phone connection.._

_Yes, as do I. It might be Jezelle, although I am not so certain._

_Hm...try harder to hear it, Gollie. It could very well be important..._

He closed his eyes briefly, trying to bring the background voice to the surface with more force.

/

Julie cried out, clutching her head with both hands. "_Damn_, it's like someone just stuck a knife into my brain!"

Jezelle chuckled, and patted her on the shoulder. "Girl it's always like that at first. But you're almost there, honey. You've got to keep trying." The psychic woman stood and disappeared into her kitchen for a moment, then brought out an ice pack from the freezer. She handed it to Julie, and sat by her again, smiling.

"You see what you can do when you try hard enough?"

Julie gratefully pressed the ice pack to her forehead, and sighed. "Yeah, you mean getting a splitting migraine in one second flat?"

Ignoring the question Jezelle leaned back heavily into the couch. "We've got to get this message to that old heradus, I sense he's almost there, but..."

Jezelle jumped up from her seat, suddenly more energized than she'd been since the moment Julie had set foot into her house. But she was animated with fear, and Julie paled at her expression.

"What...what is it?"

Jezelle paced a few times, pressing a fist into her chin. Then finally, she stopped, and looked at Julie, shaking her head slightly.

"Keep trying harder...and **now**..."

Julie gulped and did as she was told, closing her eyes and trying to picture Goliathus in her mind.

Then she heard Jezelle mutter one word under her breath, hushed and terrified...

" _Mauvais... _"

/

_ Whoa...there's all __**kinds**__ of cool stuff in here..._Solarus was grabbing objects left and right, examining them with great interest. Everything he touched caused him to feel something akin to a slight jolt of static electricity, but it didn't hurt him. In fact, he felt more energized then ever.

_Stop goofing around Sollie! Did you find anything that looks like a book?_

_I'm not goofing around, _he huffed. _And no, not yet._

Navius spotted a ladder, and in the poor light provided by the enchanted candles, could see something up on a crude shelf. Quickly she headed towards it, and climbed up. At the top, she gasped and pulled a shiny, diamond-studded onyx box off the shelf, gleaming with not one speck of dust.

_Wow look at __**this!**_

Coming down the ladder quickly with her discovery, she went over to a large stone table in the center of the room and set the box upon it. Solarus gazed at it with the same wide eyes, running a clawed hand over its surface.

_Man, that is one cool box. There's got to be something real important in there!_

_I bet it's the talisman! _Navi tried to open it, but the box wouldn't budge an ounce. She looked for a keyhole, but found none.

_Geez, how do we open it though?_

Solarus tapped his chin in thought, looking over the box carefully. He picked it up and examined it intently.

_Hey...there's this little symbol on it._

His sister took the box and examined the symbol, which appeared to be the same silver emblem they had seen the figure on the door holding.

_A silver ring of sorts...maybe we have to find an object that looks like a silver ring...I bet that's the key!_

Solarus sighed. _Great, but where? There's junk all over this room and it'll take us ages to go through it all!_

_We have to keep looking...just keep trying. You keep looking for that book, I'll search for the ring._

It was then that Starcrow, whom Solarus had placed on the table, began to move and got to his feet.

_Hey, he's ok! _Solarus smiled. _Man Starcrow, you have more tricks up your sleeve than a magician. Look, we found this weird box. Do you know how to open it?_

The raven flew over to his shoulder, perching. He still seemed weak, and his black eyes hollow.

_Ring! Silver._

_Yeah we know, we kinda figured that out. But where's this ring?_

_Door, door._

Both children looked at the entrance at the same time, and quickly ran back towars the door. Sure enough, the figure was holding an actual ring, not a picture of one. Solarus tried to pry it off , and as he pulled, it glowed, but would not loosen.

_Goli! Goli!_

_Huh? Goli?_

_Goli! Goli must take._

_Oh..do you mean Goliathus? Daddy?_

_Goli. _The raven nodded.

Navi frowned at her brother, who knew exactly what she was thinking. If only their father could remove that ring, then they had to hope he would find them soon. Navius reached over her shoulder, loosening the strap that held her quiver and peered inside with a nod.

_The box is pretty small, it should fit in here. We'll just keep it with us for now. Let's both look for the book and then hurry out of this room, I think I heard something...did you?_

Solarus only nodded, his own unease growing. They went to opposite sides of the large room, looking for chests or more shelves. The did find books, many of them, but they didn't feel like anything special.

_This book, Starcrow, what does it look like?_

_Black! Black, small._

_Okay, that certainly helps! _Books went flying everywhere as the children scrambled to find a small black one, when suddenly Solarus found a pile of what looked like scrolls, buried underneath a bunch of old blankets. He opened the scrolls, and words written in a strange language he didn't recognize gleamed at him in silver. Each scroll was the same, and they all looked like they hadn't aged at all.

_I wonder what these are?_

_They kind of make me think they might be spells, Solarus. _

_Whoa cool! Spells? I wonder what they do?_

_Me too but we don't have time for that...none of them are a little black book. Keep looking!_

Solarus then decided to head for the ladder, climbing up as his sister had done. Being much smaller he found he could crawl into the shelf, and felt around for anything she had missed. He was about to determine there was nothing there when he felt something on the back of the wall.

Turning around slowly in the cramped space, he saw that there was some kind of hole there, seeming out of place.

_Navi! Can you find a stick or something? _

_What did you find? _She came by the ladder, seeing only his feet peeking out from the shelf.

_There's some kind of hole in the wall here, but I'm not about to stick my finger in there..._

_Got it, I'll see what I can find! Oh wait, duh. Never mind, try this. _Navius pulled out one of her arrows, and climbed up a few rungs to hand it to him.

_Good idea, that'll work. _Grinning he quickly crawled back into the shelf and stuck the tip of the arrow in to the hole. It went nearly halfway until he heard a click.

Navius heard a small creak from below, and noticed a small door had opened in the floor. In it was a tiny silver box.

_You found something!_

_Man, I told you secret rooms were awesome! I could explore this place for hours..._

_Too bad we don't have that kind of time...let me see if I can open it. _Navius reached for the box, which glowed for a split second as she touched it.

There wasn't any resistance from this box, and it opened easily.

Inside, was the small black book.

C_AWWW! _Starcrow pranced around happily on the table, and flew over to Navi.

_Page thirteen!_

Navi blinked at him for a moment, then quickly scanned the pages. She didn't notice any numbers, and the words were again written in some kind of strange language. So instead she simply counted from the first page until she got to the thirteenth page, and there she did recognize something, a silver ring symbol.

_Read...read book._

_I'm supposed to read this? I don't even know what this language is. _

_Gaelic! Read._

Navi furrowed her brow, what was Gaelic? She tried to make even the slightest sense of the words, but they were very hard to figure out.

_Asarlaíocht? Dorcha? Draiocht? _What did these words mean?

Solarus looked on impatiently, tapping his foot.

_Come on sis just try...do the best you can!_

_Ok, ok...here goes..._

Navius sounded out the words to the best of her ability. As she read, the pages started to glow.

/

Goliathus had been struggling to make the connection with the voice, when suddenly he felt some kind of sensation in his head and everything sounded much clearer, instantly. It was as a door had been closed tight for centuries, and suddenly someone had found a way to open it. He shook his head briefly, then concentrated once more.

_Who is there?_

_Oh my gawd! It's me, Gollie, it's me!_

_Julie? _Goliathus' eyes widened in surprise. This was a first, Julie had never been able to talk to him in this way before. And she sounded so clear, as if she was right next to him.

_Yes, oh geezus, I was trying so hard to get through to you and...look I don't have much time to explain. But I'm here with Jezelle and I have something important to tell you. Is Ami there?_

_Yes, she is here. And apparently, she can hear you as well._

_Good good! Now listen, I know where your children are, Gollie. Jezelle said they went to the labyrinth, some secret meeting place of the Dark Mages..._

Julie continued to relay all that Jezelle had told her, while the heradus listened on in wonder. He pressed on, ignoring his hunger, and went even faster with Ami clinging to him ever more tightly.

/

Drakkon, having defeated the protection spell at the doorway, silently hovered inches above the pathway, floating towards the door of the Great Room while Marcus followed close behind. Dinarius followed like a blind dog, growling and desperate with the Hunger that tormented him. The Shadow vampire suddenly reached a wickedly gaunt and pale white hand towards them, and they paused, waiting for a moment. Drakkon bent his head, listening. He spoke barely just above a whisper. "Gaelic...do you hear it? Crude...but ssspoken none the lesss..."

"Shit. Well what spell is she casting?"

"I am not sssure...but it doesss not sssound detrimental...however here isss where we mussst be high on our guard...thisss room isss protected by layersss of ssspellsss...it isss only because they are heradusss and with that raven that they sssuffer no illsss...for now."

"For now?" Marcus gave a sinister grin. "You mean if they stay in there long enough, they'll be harmed?"

"Maybe...maybe not." Drakkon gave a sharp glance past Marcus, his cold and emotionally dead eyes setting on Dinarius. "He isss heradusss, he can get in."

Marcus chuckled, turning to the one mentioned. "Hungry, right? Get in there and kill those kids, quickly. Then bring us that book, and the talisman if they've found it. It's all on you, slave.

**Go. **And you better not disappoint me."

Dinarius nodded curtly, and hurried past them into the room.

/

Navius closed the book, and tucked it away into her quiver only moments before she saw Dinarius heading straight for her. She screamed, giving warning to her brother who quickly dove away from him, hissing and rising his head crest.

" Traitor! Stay away from us!"

Dinarius, still wide-eyed and completely under control of the evil within his mind, didn't even seem to notice Solarus' words. He simply came at them with claws and teeth bared, scrambling up the side of one wall and attempting to swoop down on Navius first. Starcrow cawed angrily, leaping into the air with a flurry of feathered wings and came at him with little talons outstretched, clawing at his face. Snarling Dinarius grabbed the raven in one hand and attempted to crush him. Solarus shrieked as he heard bones crunching and Dinarius threw the bird who landed limply near the table. Hardly phased, he came forward again, reaching for Solarus this time. Navi growled, biting back her fear and grabbed one of her arrows, aimed quickly and released. Once again the little black feather she had tied to it acted as a guide and the arrow struck the heradus in the back of the neck.

Crying out he tried to wrench it free, but the arrow stuck fast as black inky blood leaked around it.

"Navi, what do we do?"

What would they do indeed. Navi wondered about the books, or the scrolls, did any of them carry a spell to break demon possession? And if so, how would she know which one to read when she couldn't understand the words?

Panicked and feeling hopeless, she fought back oncoming tears, then screamed out again when Dinarius managed to catch Solarus, grabbing onto one his wings and attempting to tear it off with his teeth.

_**Navius...**_

She cried out to her brother, wanting to run towards him but finding herself rooted to her spot.

_**Navius...**_

The voice finally registered, powerful and deep.

_Who are you? _Her voice was full of anguish and fear, but time seemed to slow down. She closed her eyes slowly.

_**I am Maniel. You have the box, the talisman is inside. Whoever possesses the talisman, can speak to us. I hear your cries. Do not fear for your brother. The leader of the Ring of the Dark Moon is possessed by evil. Use your arrow, and strike his heart. **_

_But...but...won't that kill him?_

_**A heradus such as he cannot die by such means. They are difficult to kill, and only we know how. When you strike his heart with the arrow, given the power of dark magic by Starcrow, you will release the demon's hold on him. It will, however, quickly seek another mind, it needs a host. It will return to your father. **_

_Daddy? No! Why would it do that? _Tears streamed down her face, as she thought of her father with such an evil being in his mind.

_**It is an old battle, Navius, one that has gone on for centuries. But do not worry, for you have awakened a layer of power in his mind with the spell you chanted. The demon will have a tough time reestablishing its hold on Goliathus.**_

_**Use the arrow. And beware Drakkon, he is outside of the door with Marcus Valiant, my old enemy. They cannot enter here as the spells prevent them, but Drakkon is ancient and strong, and you must not engage him right now. Keep away from the Shadow vampires until the Ring of Dark Fire is fully reborn.**_

Navius reached for her arrow, shaking and overwhelmed by the echoing voice in her head. She tried to get it together, but her hands were sweaty and clammy, making it difficult to aim.

_What do I do once I hit Dinarius? How do we get out of the room if Drakkon and Marcus are there? _Maniel did not answer, it seemed the connection was suddenly lost.

She realized now those he spoke of were the two individuals she had sensed following them, and the thought of having to confront them terrified her.

Her brother's scream broke her thoughts, and time suddenly seemed to return to normal. Dinarius had his teeth buried in young Solarus' left wing, and the flesh was tearing.

Navius pulled back the arrow and still trembling she prayed it would hit. It was her last one.

End of Chapter 27

_I know, I know, I am the most evil person in the world leaving you with these cliffhangers. XD The Gaelic here is of real words, they should translate to something akin to 'magic' , 'spell', or 'dark'. I used a translator so it may not be 100 percent accurate._

_This chapter was SO hard to write. I hope it was still enjoyable. Next chapter should be up soon I have tons of ideas in my head and it is going in any direction it wants to, so even I'm not sure how it will play out next! _


	28. Chapter 28

THE GOLIATHUS CHRONICLES

Chapter 28- Father and Son

/

Julie sat in the couch, rubbing her knees nervously and wishing she could be there to help her best friend. She'd done all Jezelle had told her, relayed all the information she could. But would it be enough? She looked over at the psychic woman who was now pacing the room, muttering things to herself and wringing her hands. It seemed she did this often, and sometimes it was hard to get through to her when she did. Julie got up from the old worn leather couch and stopped Jezelle, placing hands on her shoulders.

"You keep saying that word, over and over again. Mauvais. What does it mean?" Julie tilted her head slightly, looking deep into the others eyes and trying to get her to focus.

"_Mauvais..._" she whispered, finally looking up at her.

"Yes...what does it mean, tell me?"

Jezelle shook her head sadly. "Ms. Tamson...that's not a what...but a _who._ And it's someone who could be the biggest threat of all...he's near...watching and _waiting_..."

/

Dinarius heard the cries, both physical and mental. Solarus' screams were putting a heavy weight on his heart, but he could not stop the awful deed he was doing, attempting to kill the young heradus. Navius was pleading with him mentally, and in the corner of his eye, he managed for one short moment to see the arrow, started to move. But it was far too late and the arrow struck his chest, driving deep inside. Eyes widening, he gasped, instantly dropping Solarus, and struggled to breathe, but it was as if the very air around him had gone bad. He felt rapid weakness envelop him, and heard the demon shriek out insanely. The darkness in his mind started to sweep away like a quickly passing storm, until he could just barely make out the silhouetted figure of the dragon head before the mental vision disappeared entirely. Then a different darkness came, one that was very familiar. A darkness that meant consciousness would be gone, and for how long...he didn't know.

But inside he silently thanked Navius...for everything it was worth, then collapsed with a heavy thud onto the hard, stony ground.

Navius gasped and saw her target now lying still, as if dead. She did not see any rise and fall of his chest as the arrow was lodged deep into his heart. She quickly ran over to her brother, who was bravely trying to fight the tears from his painful injury. His left wing was half torn and Navi was careful not to touch it as she helped him to his feet.

_Oh, Solarus..._

She clung to him, sobbing.

_I'm ok, don't cry... _He looked over his shoulder at Dinarius. _I think you killed him...man, you are damned good with those arrows._

His sister tried to wipe her eyes free of tears and put on a brave face. _I guess so, but still, it had Starcrow's feather attached to it...and I don't think he's dead..._

Solarus gave out a little yelp, and quickly looked around the room. _Starcrow! Oh no! _

They both hurried over to the familiar, but he was in a crumpled heap, and hardly resembled a bird anymore.

_No... _Solarus truly thought _he_ was dead, and picked up his limp form carefully, a few tears escaping and falling down his cheeks. _He tried so hard to protect us..._

Navius nodded sadly, agreeing, then she suddenly tapped his shoulder frantically, backing away a few steps and pulling his arm as she looked past him.

_Ow! That hurts ya know...what are you-_

But then, as he followed her gaze, he saw the most terrifying sight he had ever seen in his young life. A shadowy, moving thing hovering by the threshold, leering at them with eyes as red as blood. Slightly to its left, stood Marcus, looking more pissed off then ever.

"You little freaks, always ruining a good plan..." he sighed, scowling at them. "Well...it really doesn't matter that you stopped Dinarius." He moved forward just slightly, as if itching to get through the doorway. "Because now that demon's gonna go right back to your daddy dearest." He grinned, exposing his sharp fangs. "Oh and by the way...I've got a little tune to play for him, I just know he's going to love it." He pulled the odd whistle out of pocket, waving it at them.

/

The clearing finally appeared before them, and without hesitation, Goliathus dove right for it, landing near the open door. Ami let go of him quickly and peered down inside, scrunching her nose at the weird scent that came from below.

_What the heck is this place? That smell makes me feel weird._

Goliathus looked down himself, baring his teeth slightly.

_I am not sure, but I do smell Marcus. And another of those blasted Shadows._

Ami gasped, fear surging through her. She'd experienced a Shadow vampire before, and had no desire to even see one again. But of course, there was no choice.

_They are horrible creatures Ami, indeed. But I can deal with-_

Goliathus stopped, suddenly listening intently. Ami heard it too, a strange, high pitched note echoing throughout the labyrinth and out of the entrance.

For Ami, the sound was only eerie, strange.

For Goliathus, it caused pain to erupt in his head, and he cried out, clutching his skull and sinking to his knees. Ami after a few stunned moments quickly followed, getting onto her knees and clinging to him. She didn't have to guess what was happening, it had happened many times before when the Facility held sessions, especially in the early days. This was Goliathus when he was having a vicious battle in his mind.

The demon...was back. And that fact both infuriated her and broke her heart.

However that didn't mean she was going to sit back and let this blasted thing try and overcome him again. This time that wretched demon was going to deal with _her_ as well. Closing her eyes and concentrating hard, she tried to keep her mental connection with Goliathus going.

/

The monstrous dragon visage roared out and tendrils flew in every direction, trying to find its hold. But the atmosphere of Goliathus' mental plane had turned slippery, and different. There were strange glowings of silver light, and the distinct odor of dark magic. Normally, such a thing would please the demon, but this magic was corrupted. It had been warped into something the humans used to _fight_ evil, not cause it. Goliathus had once been nearly wiped clean of this power with the demon's influence. But now...it was back again...not strong yet, but there.

The battle, after so many years, was starting to be won. And the demon, more angry than ever before, used every bit of force it had left to try and cause even one minute of insanity.

_**The human, AMI...KILL HER...**_

Goliathus screamed out again. He felt anger welling in him far more than fear this time.

_No...NO. I will not listen to you..._

_**FOOL. THEN YOU ARE A WEAK AND PITIFUL BEING, AS YOU ALWAYS HAVE BEEN. YOU CANNOT RESIST ME. I HAVE BEEN WITH YOU NEARLY YOUR WHOLE, MURDEROUS EXISTENCE. REMEMBER, YOU ARE A HUNTER.**_

_**A KILLER. AND THE HUMAN WORM HAS RUINED YOU, DECEIVED YOU AS ALL THE OTHERS. KILL HER NOW, AND BE THE GOD YOU KNOW YOU CAN BE, RULING THE HUMANS AS YOUR SLAVES...CATTLE FOR YOUR TAKING.**_

The pain in his head was overwhelming...but familiar. He realized this game had been going on back and forth, for so long that it was beginning to affect him differently. The terrible fear he had of this entity was starting to dwindle. Despite all the numbing pain, he couldn't help the slight grin that slowly crept onto his face.

Ami saw, and wondered if he was indeed going insane again. But then she could feel his rare and building confidence, and knew it was the beginning of a true breakthrough.

_That's right, don't you listen to it! Fight it, because you know you can! I believe in you, but you have to believe in yourself..._

_**IGNORE HER LIES... **_the demon raged on, screaming and howling in its fury.

_YOU are the one who lies, who deceives!_

The whistle sounded again, and this time the note was much closer. Ami looked over and saw Marcus, at the top of the staircase, with the whistle to his lips.

Without even thinking Ami grabbed for the shotgun and fired. Marcus didn't even flinch as the bullet seemed to change direction just moments before it would have struck him, and instead circled around back towards her. In the next moment, Goliathus shielded her with a wing, where the bullet lodged in one of the bony digits.

Eyes narrowing, Marcus tried again with the whistle. But Goliathus, although covered in sweat from the pain he was experiencing, slowly rose to his feet, still standing protectively in front of Ami. He slowly reached into his pocket with great effort as he fought the effects of the whistle, forcing his clawed hand around an iron-tipped shuriken. Marcus tried harder, making the note louder and louder, but it seemed to be having little effect. Goliathus then heard Ami once again, trying her hardest to assure him. He found his moment, and with a loud yell, threw the shuriken in a perfect arc, and it headed straight for his chest. The master vampire skyrocketed into the air at lightning fast speed and narrowly avoided it.

Goliathus snorted, breathing deeply as the pain had finally subsided. He wasn't going to fall for Marcus' tricks and follow him, he knew full well that the vampire was merely trying to act as a distraction. Instead, he headed for the entrance of the labyrinth.

Ami didn't even question it as she followed him, feeling immense relief that the whistle, whatever it was, had failed...at least for now.

/

The two had barely gotten to the large metal door when Drakkon rose out from below like a ghost, blocking their way. He hissed, and there was no expression of amusement on his face, only utter malice. He reached a bony, gaunt hand out towards Ami, who found herself unwillingly being pulled towards him as if she were a magnet. Goliathus grabbed her quickly and pulled back, but was amazed at the force that even he found difficult to contend with. Ami was digging her heels into the ground, fighting as hard as she could, but her effort was futile.

Drakkon smiled hideously at her, pulling harder until he finally managed to get a hold of her leg. Suddenly Goliathus unfurled his wings and flapped furiously, holding Ami tightly from behind and now countering with strength that almost matched Drakkon. He tried to teleport, trying to will himself away from the vampire.

Something happened, a strange crackling that caused a spark of dark fire instead, which caused Drakkon to shrink back quickly, instantly releasing his hold on Ami. The fire managed to burn away one of his long tendrils before it dissipated.

There was silence now, as vampire and heradus regarded each other with an equal amount of loathing. Drakkon hissed, long and deep from within, before vanishing.

For several long moments, Ami looked around, ready for anything.

_Did...did he really leave?_

_For now...he will be back. I assure you. _

_What the hell...did you do? It was amazing!_

Goliathus pondered this himself. He tried to teleport, but instead, he had summoned a small amount of dark fire. This was all so familiar...he knew it was...and now it was as if the memories were sitting on the very surface of his brain. If only...if only he could remember...there were words, he knew this, words from his ancient language...

_Gollie?_

_I will explain later. We had better go and try to get the children now, before either of them return._

_/_

Solarus held Starcrow as he sat on the large stone table, stroking his few remaining feathers. The raven was still limp and unmoving. Navius had been searching through the scrolls, trying to find one that they could use to help him, but she still had no idea what the Gaelic words meant.

_If only I could read these..I know I could help him! But they don't make any sense! _She closed her eyes, and called for Maniel for the third time. She still had the box, why wasn't he answering?

Again she tried, screaming out his name.

_Navius? _The response came, but not from Maniel.

_Daddy!_

Solarus smiled and jumped off the table. He winced, clutching his left shoulder.

_Yes, I am here. So is your mother. Are you safe?_

_We are, for now. But we have to help Starcrow!_

_Starcrow...what has happened?_

Navi was about to answer, but then she saw her father at the door and ran to him. She leapt into his arms, sobbing from all the past events and relief at the same time. Goliathus held her close, resting a clawed hand on the top of her head and nuzzling.

_I am so proud. You have done all of this on your own. _He looked over and saw Solarus approaching, frowned at his injury. _Who has done this to you?_

_Ungh...it was Dinarius, but Navi stopped him, she got him in the heart with her arrow! _He hugged his father's leg, and Goliathus grinned at him.

_You have been a good protector, as I knew you would be. _

Solarus gave another impish grin and then saw Ami approaching. _Momma!_

Both children ran to her, and it was all she could to keep herself from falling over when they both tried to climb into her arms. Crying with utter relief she hugged them both tightly.

_Oh my babies! Are you two all right, you're sure?_

_Yeah, we're ok...but...I don't think Starcrow is. _He pointed over to the table. _Dad you should have seen it, all the amazing things that bird did. He really tried to protect us, he got us into this room where we would be safe from the vampires! _

_It wasn't just him either...Maniel told me how to stop Dinarius._

Goliathus' eyes widened at his daughter's words. _Maniel?_

She nodded. _You're supposed to have this. _Carefully she took her empty quiver off of her shoulder and fished out the shiny black box, glittering in the low light of the candles. _This has the talisman in it!_

_Ah, this Jezelle told me about. _He took the box, turning it over and admiring the craftsmanship, and realizing that this, too, looked awfully familiar. _According to her, it will unleash the true power of the Ring of Dark Fire._

_Yeah, and the key is that ring on the door! _Solarus walked over and pulled on it, but still it would not come loose. _You're the only one who can remove this, dad...it's what Maniel told us._

Ami watched in fascination as he walked over to the door and grabbed it, ready to pry it loose. But the hands of the figure that clutched it suddenly moved, releasing it right into his hands, then slowly came back together again.

_Okay, that's just creepy. _Ami looked around the room, memorized. The place was filled with books, scrolls, and that ever lingering odor that continued to make her feel very strange. It was indeed creepy, but also enchanting. She wondered just what secrets this Great Room contained that even they would never find...that would probably be buried here for eternity once they no longer needed it.

Goliathus took the ring and box and placed them on the table.

_So now what?_

_Uh, good question. How exactly does this key work?_

Navius blinked at her brother, who just shrugged. _We didn't get that far..._

_Daddy, you could ask grandpa. He is our grandpa, right?_

Ami raised an eyebrow, meeting eyes with Goliathus.

_I suppose...in a sense, that he is. _Sighing, he wondered if he even really wanted to talk to him. For so long, he had felt his own father had betrayed him, that he did nothing and sent no one to help him during that awful, long year of endless pain. But Julie, through Jezelle, had told him that Maniel had in fact died only days after he was captured. He spent his last week of life trying to complete another Ring, knowing his time was short.

_The Ring of the Dark Moon. _He looked down at the body of Dinarius, frowning. _But they have destroyed Puvo..._

_Gollie, what are you talking about? _Ami was gazing at him, frowning and confused.

_I am remembering...Ami...many things now... _Shaking himself out of it he looked back at the box and ring. _Navi is right. Though some of the memories are slowly coming back to me, I will have to contact Maniel in order to open the box. I never did get to learn how to open it, or use the talisman inside. _

She nodded, coming to his side and holding him again. Both the children copied her and did the same, Navi even attempted to wrap one wing around him.

_You can do it, daddy. We know you can! _Navi said, beaming up at him.

_Of course he can, he's our __**dad**__!_

Ami giggled, and Goliathus felt an immense swelling of love and affection in his heart towards them all. If he could feel this, this love and forgiveness, then surely he could forgive his father as well. Though at times he had greatly suffered, wishing he had never even existed, he knew his father's intentions had always been good. And yet, he too had flaws, as many as any other man.

Still...he had sacrificed everything to make the heradus race a reality. Including his own life.

_Ami, keep the children close to you, and stay from the doorway...just in case. Marcus and Drakkon could return at any moment, and if I am distracted, they may attempt to harm you. I know they are not supposed to be able to get in here, but Drakkon...if he can find a way to temporarily block the spells ...for I sense they are weak...he may be able to get in. _Goliathus looked around, carefully examining everything. He saw some ornate looking chairs in the back, ten of them stacked around each other. _There, those chairs. Stand near them, they have a strong energy of the mages. I will sit on the table...that object has the greatest concentration of their power...at least whatever remains._

Ami nodded, quickly herding the two little ones over to the chairs. Solarus quickly picked up Starcrow on his way over, holding him close.

_I hope dad can find a way to heal him, too..._

_Solarus, I am sure Maniel will show me how.  
_

With that, Goliathus went to the table and sat down Indian style upon it. He put the box in between the long talons of his feet, and tried to block everything else out as he concentrated back to his mental plane.

/

The heradus found himself once again looking at the strange tree in the distance, and the sky flashing above with the many lights of the spirits of his victims. He noticed that it was far less active then it had ever been, and the anger he was once felt from them not so long ago had quieted to a mere whisper.

He couldn't help but grin slightly when he saw Darius, still sitting there with his yellow shirt marked **BANNON, **waving at him. He sensed the boy did not wish to speak at the moment, but was making it clear he was still around.

Goliathus did not see any dried corn husks, they had vanished entirely. All that remained was a vast mental plain and long winding furrows in the ground, the marks of the demon. The demon which seemed to have withdrawn far away to the recesses of his mind.

Held back, but not yet defeated.

He sighed, and mentally called out for his father.

The atmosphere suddenly started to change before his eyes. More trees appeared, filled with crows, all watching him with beady black eyes. The flat plains became littered with tall grass, and the sky turned a deep sapphire hue with what looked like stars.

This was no longer his own mind, but that of another.

And then he appeared before him, a man with long midnight-black hair, waving about as if there were a breeze. His silvery eyes flecked with blue stared intensely back at him. Goliathus noticed the black robe and silver emblem...they suddenly brought back floods of memory.

He saw himself as a young heradus, running about the Great Room, playing and hiding in all of its nooks and crevices, while the other mages tried to teach him spells and tell him stories of the vampires and their horrid ways.

_**Goliathus...**_

He wondered where this conversation would go. What he would learn not just about this man, but himself.

_**My son... I owe you more apology then mere words can express. As a Dark Mage, I excelled at everything. But as a father...I am quite simply a failure. **_

Goliathus blinked, stunned. For the moment, he was unable to respond.

_**I have long awaited for this day when I could talk to you. The only penance I can offer you is a spell...one that can erase those horrible memories of torture from your mind. I instead, will experience them, and know your suffering for myself. It is the fate I deserve, for no creature, human or otherwise, would ever deserve what you had endured.**_

The whirlwind of emotions that struck Goliathus in that moment were as nothing he had ever experienced before. He had seen sacrifice in many great forms...especially with Patricia Jenner, who offered herself for her brother. But this...this was unreal. He didn't even know such things were possible.

_You would...make me forget? But was it not the demon who ingrained those negative memories into my head?_

Maniel blinked slowly, nodding. _**This is true. But I have designed you with a vivid memory, so that you would always know the location of the vampires...the land they lived on...their faces...everything. The demon used this to its advantage, and made you remember the torture with even greater detail.**_

The sadness seemed to intensify in the mage's eyes. He walked forward, coming closer to the heradus, and held out his hands. Goliathus noticed that on one finger was an onyx ring.

_**First, touch my hands, and the knowledge of the Gaelic language will be yours. You knew it once, but it was forgotten over the centuries. It is the language that will activate the spells...and reawaken your true power.**_

_The true power...is the Ring of Dark Fire, yes?_

Maniel nodded. _**The crows, Goliathus, you chose them. You would hide when the night fell, and watch the humans as you perched high above on the buildings. The crows...they were fearless of you and were one of few creatures that would go near you. They even tried to pick scraps from your food, but you never minded, for they were companions. I saw this, and knew these would be your familiars. The raven...**_

_Starcrow... _Goliathus actually grinned. _You must end the mystery as to why he has that name._

The mage grinned back, shrugging. _**That I cannot answer. Starcrow chose his own name. The star is on his head only because he insisted I put it there. It is his own personal calling card, if you will.**_

Goliathus could not help the amusement that flowed through him, though he was amazed that a bird would choose its own name...he slowly moved forward, making contact with the ghostly entity before him, touching the opened hands with his own, scaly, clawed ones. Surprisingly, Maniel felt warm, as if he were alive. Then there was a spark of what felt like electricity, that left a strange sensation in his head.

_**The spells are once again known to you. You can pass this onto my grandchildren as well, so that they too can read the scrolls. Now, my son, allow me take the memories of your tormentors away from you, so that you will suffer it no more.**_

Maniel reached forward towards his head, but Goliathus stepped back, slowly shaking his head.

_No, father...do not do this. I once hated you, blaming you for all of my pain. But that has changed now. I see the good man you truly are. How can I pass on this suffering to you? It is mine to bear...and I have learned now...learned and seen through all Ami has done for me, and my children...that it is something I must overcome...on my own. _He growled slightly at his next thought. _ I __**will **__defeat it father, I will. I have already conquered some of that fear, and given time, I am sure I can destroy it for good._

Maniel looked shocked for several long moments, but then he smiled, eyes glistening. _**So be it...but listen to me well. Should you change your mind, I will still do as I have said. However, if you truly defeat this demon on your own, then you will be more powerful then even I. You will have found a mental strength that I am sure humans are not even capable of.**_

The dark mage peered towards the trees, at the many crows still watching them.

_**Goliathus hear me, the crows now know all I have said and also remembered the ancient words. They will do your bidding without question. Make sure you destroy Marcus, and weaken the Royals to such a great degree that from that point on I am sure they will be easily eliminated.  
**_

_Of course, father... _he snarled, letting his hunger roil as he thought of devouring the heart of Marcus Valient, _...I will be quite certain of that goal being accomplished._

_**Good. But Goliathus...there is an even greater threat. Drakkon as you know, he is one of those Shadow Vampires and quite strong...but beware Mauvais. You will need much help to defeat him. He is old, older than you, and certainly older than the Royal clan itself.**_

Eyes widening, the heradus searched his mind for that name, but he had no memory of it.

_**Mauvais...he is the leader of the Shadow Vampires, and even his own kind fear him. Be careful, my son, never underestimate him. He is the most foul of all vampires, and he is very patient and clever. We Dark Mages, there used to be many of us, a hundred to be exact. But it is this vampire who once discovered us, tore through our spells as if they were nothing, and nearly destroyed us all. We had other Rings, which he destroyed as well. The only thing that prevented us from being completely wiped out was our discovery of the dark fire. Mauvais, even he has little defense against it...although by now, since another thousand years has passed, he may be somewhat able to defend against it, I cannot be certain. **_

Goliathus wasn't exactly sure how to feel at this news. He almost wanted to feel defeated, slump his shoulders, and give up. Just when he thought he had it all figured out, a new and even deadlier foe is revealed to him.. And yet...there had to be hope. He knew this now, that to have hope was important, and humans certainly relied on this. If he could defeat Mauvais, then maybe at last the world could truly be free of the vampire's curse.

_What of Dinarius? There is a Ring of the Dark Moon that he leads, the bats. I remember this now._

_**Ah! Yes, Dinarius. He is indeed the intended leader of that Ring. We barely finished it in time, Goliathus, Puvo was especially difficult to create. Bats it seems, are tricky to infuse with dark magic without killing them, we had many, many failed attempts.**_

_Puvo...it appears he is dead, destroyed by Drakkon, I would assume. _

_**No familiar can ever truly die. As long as the spells are known and can be cast, they can be used to reawaken them. This is as true for Puvo as it is for Starcrow. Dinarius, first you must heal him with a new heart. Then tell him to find the remains of his familiar, and he can restore him using the scrolls. There is a spell in there with an image of a moon, that is the one he needs. **_

_**I must go now, my son, I have used much energy to stay here and talk to you. The other mages, once they would have been able to assist you as well, but now, too much time has passed. They left, crossed to the other side...I can communicate with them no more.**_

Frowning now, he gazed at this father, worrying. _Will the same happen to you, father?_

_**I am touched, that you would ask that question. **_Maniel smiled at him warmly.

_**Goliathus so long as you manage to reawaken the Ring, I will have enough energy to stay here, for as long you need. I plan on going nowhere until all vampires are destroyed, and my services are no longer required. This is the very least I can do for you.**_

_So be it then, Maniel. I will take all this knowledge you have given me, and I will destroy the vampires. Even if it takes another thousand years...you have my solemn vow on this._

Another thousand years...the thought was not very comforting. Especially if it meant no more Ami, or his children. He stared down at the long grass, still waving about in the non-existant wind of this bizarre mental plane.

_**There is a way.**_

Looking back up he once again met eyes with his father, who was now starting to fade out of view.

_**For Ami.**_

_Father! What way? Tell me! _The adrenaline surged, at the thought of Ami being with him forever. Was it really possible?

The mage continued to fade, now flickering in out of view much like Darry's much weaker energy often did. But his eyes remained locked, and the mental voice was still heard for the moment.

_**Your children are already immortal, they will grow to adulthood, but they will not die. As for Ami...infuse your blood, with hers...over days...it will...**_

An unearthly wail of frustration escaped him as his father flickered out, and was gone. Goliathus made sure to ingrain the words he had made out into his mind, not to be forgotten. He knew it could be days, even weeks, before his father would be able to speak to him again.

If there was a way...a real and true way to keep Ami with him forever...then he would go to hell and back again to find it.

/

End of Chapter 28.

_OH MY GAWD THIS CHAPTER WAS TOO LONG! :cries: This was the most insanely difficult thing I have ever had to write. No wonder this story kept me in writer's block for over two years! The ideas are there, but the writing ability is not. I can only hope you are all still enjoying this story! Please, PLEASE review, and while you're at it, let's do a poll. Let me know whether you want a third child or not to appear in this story, I've considered it, but keep going back and forth with the idea._


	29. Chapter 29

THE GOLIATHUS CHRONICLES

Chapter 29- Saying Goodbye

/

As the real world slowly came back into focus, Goliathus saw three pairs of eyes staring up at him as he sat on the table, waiting for his news. He relayed to them what his father had said, but left out the part regarding Mauvais. For now, his family were frightened enough. To mention the dreaded news of yet another, far more powerful Shadow vampire was not what they needed right now.

_There's...another Ring? I never would have guessed...I thought Puvo was just a companion for Dinarius, I mean where are all the other bats?_

_That is a good question, Ami. I am sure Dinarius knows...but first...we must restore him._

Ami scanned the Great Room quickly, and peered over her shoulder, glancing at the one mentioned, who was lying still as a statue. Neither Marcus nor Drakkon had returned yet, but she knew full well they were lying in wait like crouching panthers, ready to strike the instant any of them let their guard down when they left the room. And the problem was, they _did_ have to leave the room, sometime.

They couldn't stay in the labyrinth forever.

_Easier said than done, Gollie. Problem is, we have to get outside of this room first._

_I know...but there are...those...over there. _He pointed to the large pile of scrolls.

_Daddy those words are hard to read! I tried, but-_

_Navius, your grandfather has made the words known to me, and I can pass it on to you and Solarus as well. Come quickly._

His two children scrambled onto the table and he touched their hands in the same manner his father had done. In an instant, the spell was transferred.

_There is a scroll with the symbol of the moon, Dinarius will need this to restore Puvo. But there is a catch..._

_Isn't there always? _Ami sighed, getting used to that sort of news.

_We will need to find Puvo's remains...which are back at the vampires' castle._

_Oh, that doesn't sound like a good plan to me. _Ami, who was sitting on one of the mage's ornate chairs, folded her arms and let out another sigh. _They probably have quite a few vamps there now, guarding the place, and I wouldn't be surprised if more Shadows have arrived as well._

Navius went to her mother and pulled herself up into her lap.

_I'm scared too, momma. But we have to do this, don't we?_

_Oh no, Navi...__**you**__ aren't doing anything, and neither is Solarus. We're going to get you two back home first. Jezelle will be there, and she's going to watch over you._

_But, but we want to help! _She gazed at her father, hopeful.

_No, Navi, you are far too young yet to be dealing with the likes of the Shadows, and your brother has not yet fully fledged. _They both looked at him with obvious disappointment, but said nothing.

_My father had chosen Jezelle to guard you. It is possible that Maniel may even have been responsible for her incredible psychic abilities, who knows? _He paused for a moment._ I wonder if he gave her the dreams about me, in order to begin the process of my healing. _

Ami blinked, her eyes meeting his gaze. _Now that would be an interesting twist...but...I will admit, I am a bit concerned as to __**how**__ she is going to protect them, should a vampire decide to show up at the Atrium? She's an old lady, and certainly wouldn't have the physical strength to fight one of those things._

Goliathus finally got off the table in one swift, solid movement. He walked over to the scrolls and began to rummage through, taking them out one by one. Without word the children assisted him, and Navius' face lit up when she realized she could now read them as easily as any story book.

_I am sure when we get the talisman activated, and restore the Ring of Dark Fire...that will make itself known._

He saw his children busy going through the scrolls again, and took the moment to gently grab one of Ami's arms, and pulled her to the other side of the room.

_What is it? _

"Maniel told me something that I would have never even contemplated, just before he lost the connection. But...this is a decision that you and you alone must make, my love, because no matter how much I may wish it to be so, it is your life that would change completely. " He spoke out loud, but hushed, almost whispering.

He reached up to gently stroke her face, and her hands clasped around his own.

"Well...that sure sounds serious, doesn't it? So...what did he tell you? "

Goliathus fell silent for quite a few minutes before answering. "He told me...that there is way to make you immortal. I am not sure what would happen, whether you would become a heradus or simply no longer age. But somehow I am to infuse my blood with yours, and over time, it will change you." He huffed, an obvious sound of frustration. "However I did not hear all he meant to say. I am not sure exactly how it is done...but I would try all of the same."

Ami drew in a quick breath, stunned. She gazed over at her children, and the first thought that entered her mind was that she would never have to leave them if what he said was true. As a human, she would grow old and die, this she knew, as every other human did. From day one, when Goliathus had shown that he was capable of changing his very soul and leaving the Creeper behind for good, Ami had known that her time with him would be short...fleeting...in comparison to all the years he had existed, and all the years he had left to come.

To be _immortal..._would it be a dream come true, or a curse?

_I could have you forever? And my children?_

Solarus perked up, looking at her. _What, momma?_

She giggled, shaking her head at him. _Never mind you, did you find a scroll with a moon yet?_

_No, there's a lot of them, but we're still looking! _He turned back and continued sorting, while his sister chided him for being too nosy.

"You really heard him say this?" She whispered out loud back to Goliathus. Her eyes were moist now, with many conflicting emotions that she just didn't know how to sort out.

"I did, but remember...what exactly will happen, I do not know."

"I hope I get wings. You know how much I want wings?" She grinned suddenly, and he blinked at her, surprise evident in his eyes.

"That is a yes?"

"I can't see my life without you, or our children. Sometimes I thought about the possibilities of that, thinking it was just a fantasy. But I dreamt about it, Gollie... _I dreamt about it..._and it always felt so real, like I was always meant to be that way!"

"You saw yourself...as one of us?"

"Yeah. Wings and all. Thing is...I never want to go back to the time before there was _you_, Goliathus. You are my whole world, and I have thanked the powers that be for that very day we met...even if not under the most friendliest of circumstances. So yes...yes I want to do this, in so many ways that I can't even express properly." She leaned in to hug him, and he reacted by holding her very tightly and nuzzling into her neck.

It was overwhelming, to know how much this one little human girl loved him, and how she had set him free from so much of his pain.

/

Patricia Jenner had been driving in her blue Chevy for hours. She began to wonder if she had totally lost her mind, as she searched for the house of Jezelle Gay Hartman. With a little research on the ever-informative internet, she had found out where the lady lived. If anyone knew about spirits, ghosts...and...human flesh-eating monsters, it was Jezelle. Although Trish knew it had been years...many years, since she had seen her last, in the back of her mind she wondered what the psychic would think of her coming to visit.

_Or the fact that I have a son...that I named after my brother._

Closing her eyes for a brief moment, she took a deep breath and continued on.

She was on the right street, the house should be coming into view any moment now.

As she pulled into the driveway of the small Victorian-style home, she saw the old Towncar parked on the gravel. Strange, how it reminded her of her brother all over again, speeding down Route 9 in that old clunker of hers that she used to have...well, originally it was supposed to be Darry's car, but in the end, he ended up letting her have it. Wasn't "sporty" enough for him or some boyish nonsense. Smiling to herself at the memory, she got out of the car and walked to the door.

After knocking and waiting for several minutes, it seemed that no one was home.

_Great, now what?_

Trish was about to turn and leave, when she saw something sticking out of the corner of the mailbox. Curios she opened it and examined the paper. It was a note, written in very neat handwriting, and labeled with her name on it. Now even more intrigued, she opened the note and read it.

_Patricia,_

_I knew you'd come to see me again, eventually. I figured when the time was right, you'd come askin' questions about your brother...and the Creeper. Darlin' if only you knew the truth. That "dream" you had where Darry visited you was not a dream, child. It was real, quite real. _

_If you want to find me you're going to have to find the Facility. _

"Facility?" Trish said out loud, face scrunched in confusion. What the heck was that?

_I've written the directions below. But when you get there...you're gonna have to destroy this letter, and try not to let anyone see where you're going. It's a secret place, buried deep in the woods somewhere here in Poho County._

_That's all I'll say for now but Patricia, I'll tell you more when you get here. You better come prepared to deal with all you're going to learn. I know you're a strong woman, but you will have to be stronger than ever before._

_-Jezelle_

Trish read the letter over and over, wondering what it all could mean. Of course the idea of some hidden "Facility" deep in the woods seemed ludicrous...but then again, she learned that there were things of this world she never would have expected in a million years. With that in mind, she decided she would go and find out what this craziness was all about.

_I need to come prepared, huh?_

Walking back to her car, she took one final, long look back at that Towncar before backing out of the driveway and starting to follow the directions.

/

"Oh! I think this is it!" Navi cried out loud, and quickly rushed over to her father. He took the scroll from her and studied it intently. There was indeed a symbol of the moon on the top, but although the words were understood the spells were odd indeed. They consisted mainly of single words written in groups, some lines had one or two, others five or more. But they did not read in sentences or follow any coherent pattern that he could make any sense of. Goliathus figured that he would maybe understand the patterns in time, but for now, that could wait.

_Very good. We will be sure to keep this one tucked away for the right time. _He put the scroll inside of his duster, sticking it into one of the deep pockets. Now, they had found the scroll for the Ring of the Dark Moon, but there were still other pressing matters.

First, to get the box open. They had the key. They had the box with the talisman in it. But no matter what Goliathus said or did it would not open. _I never did specifically ask Maniel about it, did I? _he thought to himself. He closed his eyes, thinking, wondering if he was missing something.

_star..crow..._

A weak, garbled voice filled his mind then, distant as if lost. Goliathus turned and saw the raven moving just slightly on the corner of the table where they put him, hoping the energy there might revive him a little. Surprisingly, it had actually seemed to work.

_He's waking up! _Solarus, who was quite fond of the enchanted bird, crawled back onto the table and gently set him on his lap. _Hey, wake up little fella. We were worried about you._

_Cawwwww...head...ache..._

Solarus giggled, and he only smiled wider when Starcrow stood shakily to his feet.

_Goli? _

_Yes, my friend. Before you say anything, know that I thank you greatly for protecting my children._

The raven squawked weakly, but it was a happy sound. _Goli? Remember? Remember Starcrow?_

_That I do. _He offered his arm, and the bird climbed on slowly. _I think I must apologize for any of my rather...harsh treatment of you beforehand. Anyway, what can you tell me about the box? It will not open, but we do have the key._

_Caw! Box...Starcrow, hold ring. Goli touch._

Pondering that for a moment, Goliathus took the silver ring and Starcrow grabbed it in his beak, and clambered onto the box. The heradus put his hands on both sides of it, and in the next moment, the box started to glow furiously. Ami and the children watched with wide eyes as the box not only opened, but after the light died down, they saw that Starcrow had completely recovered, all of his glossy black feathers had returned and he seemed as energetic as ever. Whatever level of power that talisman had, it was great indeed.

And the talisman...it was a thing of immense beauty and wonder. It was extremely shiny as if it had been coated with many layers of black lacquer, and the "star" on the head of the raven was a diamond. The stylized eye was a ruby, that was glowing faintly. Goliathus took the talisman from the box, lifting with it a heavy chain made of iron.

_Clever. No vampire could ever hope to handle it._

He pulled the chain over his head, and the instant the talisman touched his chest, he felt that some empty part of him was finally filled. There was also an overwhelming sense of energy flowing throughout his entire body.

He also noticed that the hunger plaguing him from before was now a mere whisper of a sensation.

And the demon...wherever it was...he could barely tell it was even there. Bravely, he sought for it, but there was only the slightest feeling of raw anger which quickly dissipated.

In that moment, he knew without a shadow of a doubt that the old, ancient battle was finally going to be won, and it wouldn't be much longer now.

/

At the Facility, Julie was first to hear the approach of a car engine coming near the building. Immediately concerned, she went to a window and peered down the long path. The dark night made it hard to see, but it was evident that a woman was stepping out of the car, and after a while, her features came into view as she neared the front entrance and knocked on it.

"Who could that be?" She asked to herself, wondering what to do. Not many knew of this place, and while it could possibly be one of the old members of the psychiatric team, she had no idea why they would be here so late at night.

Glancing at the door knob, she thought about opening it, hesitated. Thought about it again, drew back. Should she just ignore the knocking? It was getting more insistent now.

"Well now stop leaving Trisha out there in the chill, Ms. Tamson. I knew she'd be here, you can let her in." Jezelle spoke from directly behind her, causing Julie to jump slightly. "Jez, I wish you'd stop doing that."

"Sorry. Can't be helped I guess. Now go on, go on. Let her in, and bring her back to Ami's session room. I think that's a good a place as any."

Julie gave a short sigh and slowly turned the knob. Staring back at her was a rather lovely woman, tall with long dirty-blonde hair and intense eyes.

"Hey there. Sorry for the late hour, but I'm looking to speak with Jezelle." She eyed Julie for a moment, pausing. "Are you...her daughter?"

Julie blinked, then waved her hands. "Oh no, no...my name's Julie, and I'm a good friend of Ami's."

"Ami?" Clearly Patricia knew nothing of her.

"Yeah...part of that long story I'm sure Jezelle is going to tell you about. Follow me, she's back here." Julie led her into the session room, the very one where Ami spent many long hours helping Goliathus sort out his troubled mind. The instant Patricia stepped in however, even Julie could sense her nervous tension that was quickly building.

"Now now Trisha just look at you! All grown up and looking as youthful as ever. I'd say you've aged well these past twenty-three years!"

Patricia sat on a chair opposite of Jezelle, who was on the couch, and tentatively smiled at her.

"Jezelle. It's nice to see you again...or I'd want to say that it is, but..well, considering what you told me the last time we met, I'm hoping it isn't that sort of news again."

The old woman nodded, seeming to completely understand. "I know, and you better believe I had always wished it had been very different circumstances. But despite all I have to say, I want you to ask the questions, Trisha. I know you have many."

"I certainly do. First and foremost, I want to know about that...meeting with Darry's ghost. You said it wasn't a dream, but it had to be. What he was telling me made no sense."

"Oh Trish, it's because you don't yet understand...Darry's around, and always has been, because you just can't let him _go_, child. So, he's made good use of his time here, hovering inbetween our world and the spirit world. He knew the instant he died the truth about his killer, and decided that he would do all he could to help him...especially when he saw Miss Ami Quinton come into the mix."

Trish already had tears in her eyes, from Jezelle stating she was pretty much keeping her brother here. She didn't want to admit it to herself let alone the psychic, that this was very true of her. Every waking moment of her life since her brother was taken, she had thought of him and wished, hoped, and prayed that he would come back to her, somehow. That what had happened that fateful night was all a dream and she could just wake up from this living hell that was now her life.

But now that other thing..about helping **him**...quickly changed her mood right back to anger and hatred. Who the _hell_ would help that monstrous murderer and _why?_

Jezelle shook her head, frowning sadly at her. "I know, Trish, I do. About how you feel." Jezelle folded her hands, resting them on her knees. "I also know that even when you hear the truth, you're not going to let go of that hatred you've been harboring for so long. But even so...I will tell you, the whole story...and I'll start from the beginning...the _very_ beginning, back to when that creature was born."

_Creature. You mean monster. _"Go ahead Jezelle. Do tell me. And don't leave out a single detail. I want to know _everything._"

/

"Ok, we seriously need to get out of this room, I think we've done all we can here." They had gathered as many scrolls as they could carry, including some of them that they managed to stuff into Navius' quiver. But the magic in the room was starting to make Ami feel weird, and she didn't like it.

"What in the world are we going to do about Dinarius? Are you going to carry him?" Ami asked Goliathus with worried eyes, as she knelt besides the other heradus's still body.

_Perhaps we do not have to leave the room just yet...what if Starcrow and some of the others can find a heart for him? A deer should do nicely, especially if it is large enough._

_Well, I don't see why not. They do seem a lot...stronger now-_

_CAWWWW! _

Goliathus clutched his head from the all too familiar flash of pain in his mind from the loud screeching, but he doubted this annoying habit of the raven was ever going to change. He willed away the thought of swatting the bird against a wall. This was his familiar after all, he would just have to get used to it. As irritating as that thought was...

_Starcrow strong. Yes strong. Will find deer, large deer. Bring heart, crows help._

_Go then, and be quick about it. We cannot stay here much longer._

_Yes yes, must go! Go now. _With that Starcrow leapt off the table, loudly flapping his wings and exited the room. A few echoed and faded caws later, they knew he was back outside.

Ami sighed, taking a seat back in one of the chairs and examining every crevice in the room. It was a fascinating place, and she kept wondering what was up on this shelf or under this one, and why the room had so many small cubby holes that seemed to go far back into the stone walls.

_I believe they were actually put there for me, a place to hide when I wanted to be alone, or just play around in. _Goliathus noted, once again reading her mind as usual._ My father did __**try**__ to be some sort of parental figure, but he was indeed obsessed with the dark magic. The magic is all-consuming, it is a path that will always lead to either two destinations. Either it slowly kills you, draining your life force as would a parasite, or it will turn you to nothing but utter evil._

_Like the Shadow vampires...any more memories of them surfacing, Gollie? If you can remember some important facts, it may make it easier to deal with Drakkon. I doubt he will be as foolish as Chasseur was, what with Trevor getting the best of him and all. You remember Trevor, right? He managed to take that vampire completely off guard and skewer him with a wooden table leg. Go figure. _She grinned slightly, it was at least one good memory of that awful night.

_Hm. Yes, Trevor. I do wonder if that man made it back to his village. It is an odd and uncertain thing, how I feel no malice towards him. I suppose it may be because he proved himself to be a friend. And as for the Shadows...I have no doubt they have weaknesses...every living thing does, whether immortal or not. Drakkon is powerful, but he has a flaw that I noticed most of his kind do._

_They are prideful, full of themselves. They believe there are very few things in this world that can contend with them, and I intend to prove them wrong. Dead wrong._

Ami nodded with a smirk. _Prideful is right. That pride proved to be Chasseur's end, as well as Donovan! The same can be said for Marcus...he's a bit more inclined to think things through, but he still believes he is far superior. Well...he's probably not going to expect the little army that's coming along to aid us...and possibly two armies...if we can get Dinarius going fast enough before they come back. By the way...important question here...if Dinarius is out for the count, how is he going to eat that heart?_

How indeed. Goliathus walked over to Dinarius' still form and knelt near him. He shook him vigorously, but there was not so much as even a twitch. He truly seemed dead.

Then the heradus pulled a sharp dagger from his pocket. _It will have to be done the hard way, I suppose._

Ami's eyes widened, and she cringed at the mere thought. _Uhm...geez. Well, it's not like our kids can't handle blood, they've seen it before. But poor Dinarius... _Ami frowned, hoping he was truly free of the demon now, and that there wasn't some slithering tendril still hiding out somewhere in his mind, hoping to hook itself somewhere into his conscious. She wanted nothing more then to have their sweet and loyal friend back to his true self.

Even more so, she hoped the loss of Puvo wouldn't be too hard on him. Yes he could be restored, but just knowing he had failed his little friend would be hard for him to take. Surely she knew it may even make him feel like he did a very long time ago, when he failed to protect a certain little girl...

Her thoughts were cut off by the returned sound of cawing, and the sound of many wings this time. Goliathus noticed too and simply watched closely as the raven returned, carrying the heart, still twitching and dripping blood all over the place, and landed clumsily with it onto the table. About twenty or so crows followed in, carrying their own pieces of the kill, and they settled into a strange circular pattern around the edges of the table, as if they were remembering each and every one of their own assigned spots.

Goliathus found the heart quite tempting, but once more, he noticed his hunger was quite controlled. He liked this talisman...liked it very much.

_Goli! Heart, good...yes?_

_Quite good, my fine feathered friend. You came back quickly._

_Yes, deer, out beyond knoll. Not far. Killed buck._

_Good, good. _He praised, and walked to the table, grabbing the heart carefully. The smell was tantalizing, and he had many thoughts of just stuffing it into his own mouth, but he found he was able to resist. He came back to Dinarius' side, and placed the organ next to him, then grabbed the dagger and started to slice him from chest to navel. The task was not easy, his kind had hide that was tough indeed. Grunting with much effort and with puddles of the blacker than normal blood pooling down the sides, Goliathus knew indeed that this was arterial blood and that the heart had been completely destroyed. He managed to pluck the arrow from it and then wrenched the damaged organ from the cavity. The entire time, the other heradus did not move an inch.

_Ungh, well now what? _Ami said, peering through her fingers.

_We put the new one in, and hope that it will take._

Again he gently picked up the still-twitching heart and placed it inside the cavity, putting into the exact position as the other. He then watched, waiting.

And waited more.

_Uhm...hate to tell ya this dad, but...I don't think it's working. _Solarus, who had been watching the entire time more in fascination then anything else, came closer, kneeling by his father. He was busy munching away on the other pieces of meat offered by the crows, in order to heal his wing. _I bet there's a spell for this too?_

_There should not be...it should take on its own._

_Maybe...it's still not the right size or something?_

The two remained knelt by Dinarius...waiting, while Ami continued to feel stranger and stranger. The magic was started to affect her more than the others by far.

_We've got to get this done soon, because I'm starting to feel ill here. You sure there's not something we're missing? _Ami asked him, the worry increasing in her gaze. She finally knelt down beside him herself.

Navius chose to stay in the background, watching as she sat on a chair with her knees drawn to her chest.

Goliathus said nothing for a time, then looked at the crows.

_One of you...come over here._

In an instant the crows looked around at each other, tilting their heads back and forth, before finally one of the individuals closest to him flew over, landing on his shoulder.

_Onyx._

_Onyx is it? Well, I must ask a hard favor of you. Can you help Dinarius? We cannot stay here much longer, and we must get him healed._

_Yes. Yes. _The crow seemed to have less ability with words then its raven leader, but clearly understood. It hopped from his shoulder onto Dinarius, and nestled itself right into the open cavity.

Starcrow cried out, puffing up and seeming angry. _Kill Onyx! No no!_

_But the crow cannot die, it is one of you. _The thought was more of a question.

_No no! Not familiar! Magic, yes, not familiar!_

_Gollie, what's he talking about? _Ami kept her mindvoice quiet, blinking at Starcrow sadly.

_I am afraid one of these crows must be sacrificed, I see no other way to get it done. And apparently because it is merely enchanted, it can be killed if enough energy is lost, unlike familiars, who can be restored._

_What about the talisman? Can't it help somehow?_

Goliathus stared at the crow, peering up at him with beady black eyes and seemingly completely fearless, waiting for the next instruction. _It is not a spell we are using. It is merely an exchange...a sacrifice._

_No no! NO! Not familiar! Kill! No! _Starcrow leapt from the table and began angrily scratching with his sharp little claws at his master's head. Goliathus snorted but ignored it, he was feeling miserable about the whole situation but their time was running out fast.

_What would you have me do, Starcrow? Do you have an alternative? We would have to go through each and every scroll in here to find some sort of healing spell...if any even exists. It is not designed to heal, unless one takes from another. Such as I used to take from humans...or even the vampires now. _

Ami glanced up at Starcrow, tears brimming in her eyes. _It's a female isn't it? And you're fond of her. But she chose this fate already, Starcrow. She knew. Now you must be brave, and let her go. _She tried to pick up the raven to comfort him, but he flew away, still angrily squawking. He perched himself on a shelf and turned his back to them.

The heradus sighed deeply but wasted no more time. He looked at Onyx, and simply gave a slight nod. She started to glow immediately, sending all of her energy into the new heart. As the minutes went by, she opened her beak, panting.

_Onyx...Onyx. _Starcrow's mindvoice was small, timid. He looked over at her once then back at the wall, falling more silent then he'd ever been.

And then she too fell silent, slumping over and all of her feathers coming loose and slowly floating to the ground. Goliathus carefully removed her body from the cavity, and then his eyes widened as he noticed it was beginning to close up. He saw the heart starting a weak beat just before it healed up completely.

_Did...did it work? _Solarus asked, his eyes as moist as his mother's.

Ami shook Dinarius again. "Wake up, damn you! Wake up!"

/

"Well, I believe that is the whole story, my dear. Every last thing I can remember." Jezelle sighed and finished off her cup of tea. She had been talking for nearly two hours, and noticed that Patricia had never even moved during the entire storytelling, nor had she taken a single sip of her own cup of coffee. Julie sat nearby, watching the woman closely, and feeling countless measures of sympathy for her. If it wasn't hard enough to lose a brother, it was certainly one hundred times harder to have to be faced with the ultimate reality of it all.

_Heradus, vampires...hybrid children...this whole place itself...sometimes I wonder why __**I**__ haven't gone insane yet. _Julie thought to herself, deciding in that moment that she needed to go have something really strong...like a shot of vodka...and headed off to the kitchen.

"Now the hardest part is yet to come, Trisha. You see you've got to let your brother go now. Remember the part about Maniel, the leader of the dark mages?"

Trisha nodded slowly, finally shifting her gaze to the floor.

"He's here now, and he can help his son so long as he has that talisman. Your brother, Darry, well he's not needed anymore, and he knows this too. He's done what he's come to do. And he's been tellin' me that his grandma's waitin' for him...and some cousins are over there as well. You know who I mean now?" Jezelle slowly got up from her spot and sat next to her, putting a comforting hand on her knee. Patricia sniffed, nodding just slighty as more tears fell from her eyes.

"Well...then, that's what you must do right now.." she whispered. "Darry's right here, and waitin' to talk to you. All you have to do is tell him."

Patricia didn't answer, shaking her head, and breaking into sobs.

"Look I understand, I do, no matter how much you might think otherwise..." Jezelle rubbed her tired face, wiping away a tear from her own eye. "But how many get this chance, Trisha? How many? Now you stop bein' a selfish girl, cause I know that ain't the real you. Darry can't stay forever, you know this as well as I.

_Hey, sis. What's with the tears? C'mon, I mean, I'm the one who was a total wimp and would cry if I skinned my knee. _There was an echoic chuckle and Patricia looked up, seeing a faint see-through image before her.

"Julie girl! Turn off those lights!" Jezelle called, and Julie came running out of the kitchen, bottle of vodka in hand. She quickly shut the lights.

As soon as the lights went out, Darry's ghostly form was much clearer. His sister slowly got up from the couch and took a few tentative steps towards him, tears pouring from her eyes as she shook her head at him.

"How am I supposed to let you go, Dar?" Struggling to keep her composure, she mindlessly accepted a tissue from Jezelle, her eyes never leaving him. "I know I'm so selfish and I'm _so_ sorry..."

Darry said nothing, frowning and blinking his brown eyes at her.

"I just wanted my life to be with my little brother, ya know? You were the only sibling I ever had and I was the happiest big sister alive when you were born. Then in one single day you are just torn from me and the Creeper may have well have killed us both, because a part of me _died_ inside!"

Jezelle gazed helplessly at Darry's form. He silently moved closer to his sister and shook his finger at her.

_Now you stop that. This isn't you, Trish, and you know it. You're not selfish, anymore than I am. Look at you, all successful now, and.. _he smirked, ... _naming your kid after me. I'm honored, really. Who wouldn't want the name Darius? It's awesome._

Patricia couldn't help letting out a chuckle in spite of herself.

_I gotta go, sis. Grandma Ellen's been buggin' me since day one to get my butt over there. It's so cool, I even get to meet people I never even could have known in my lifetime, like our great, great Grandpa Charlie! _He reached out to his sister, enveloping her in a cold, breezy hug. Trisha's tears returned, but she knew Jezelle was right.

She had to let her baby brother go.

"I love you _**so**_ much Darry. Don't you dare forget about me while you're over there. I'm gonna be with you someday..." she nodded her head in finality. "...and I'm gonna bug you in the afterlife too."

Tears still streaming down her cheeks she slowly took a few steps back.

Darry smiled then, a warm, affectionate smile that was quite rare for him. _I love you too, Trish. Just don't come visit me too soon, promise?_

She nodded, not wanting to tear her gaze from him.

Darius. Her brother. A part of her very soul. _Goodbye...Darry..._

_Bye...and one more thing before I go...please try and understand Goliathus. Listen to what Jezelle is telling you. I'm askin' you to do this for me, sis. For me._

Patricia wanted to run away and scream, her mind a complete turmoil. For now, she felt like the very atmosphere itself was closing in around her and choking off her air supply, as she watched her brother fade out from view...for the final time.

/

End of Chapter 29.

_It was hard not to get teary writing this. Future chapters are going to get much more intense, if I can write it down, that is. ;) _

_Oh and in case you're wondering, 'Whose Chasseur?', that was Loquiax, the vampire who tortured Ami. The name was irritating me so I changed it into something that makes much more sense.  
_


	30. Chapter 30

The Goliathus Chronicles

Chapter 30- The Reawakening

/

The voices were faint at first, sounding as if they were coming from miles and miles away. Darkness swirled and made the world spin, then there was pain, incredible pain, followed soon after by a strange electric and warm sensation flowing through his chest.

A beat, then two. The voice became clearer. "Dinarius! Wake up! Wake up, please!"

Was that Ami? He took a deep breath, smelled the air. It was a strange mixture of magic, human, and avian. But he could make out that one scent that he knew well and had craved with great desire once before.

It _was_ Ami. And for her, he would do anything. If she wanted him to wake up well then of course he would.

_Where am I? _Dinarius asked mentally as he opened his eyes, his mouth too dry to speak. His gaze fell upon Ami first, hovering over him with tears in her eyes. She looked sweaty, pale, and exhausted, but when she noticed him waking up, a smile of utter relief spread across her delicate face.

_Oh Dinarius! You're back to us at last. _She reached to stroke his face with cool fingers. Goliathus came up from behind her, peering down at him, not so much with relief in those hard, calculating eyes. Dinarius noticed the flash of angry teeth, felt the low growl, which Ami would not be able to register in her human ears. But the pang of jealousy he felt from the other faded quickly, and that's when Dinarius noticed the dark talisman, glowing faintly in response to that emotion, and sweeping it away.

_Maniel..._

"How are you feeling, Dinarius? The demon is gone, right?"

Ami's voice brought him back from his mind, and he grinned at her. "Yeah...I think so. But there's a new, foreign heartbeat in there." He put a clawed hand to his chest. "There were all kinds of odd sensations, what on earth happened?" He cautiously sat up, and noticing he felt rather fine, slowly got to his feet, towering over Ami...a fact she seemed to notice now. Had he grown without her realizing?

"It's a long story, Dinarius..." she frowned, remembering well the terrifying frenzy he had been in only earlier that day. "But you were asleep, for ten years, and the demon-"

It was like a large stone had slammed into Dinarius, he stumbled back a few steps, suddenly overwhelmed with grief as her words triggered the memories in a rush. "Ten years...oh gods...to sleep...to sleep means I killed humans! I thought it was a dream, a horrible nightmare...but the voice! That _**voice**_! I couldn't ignore it, I tried so hard..." he was rambling now, feeling his knees go weak and grabbing for one of the chairs that he slowly sank down into. "...I tried so hard and then I knew...I _knew_ all the pain Goliathus had felt, the shame, the anguish...what it means to feel like a true _**monster**_!" He was trembling now, in such gripping, strong waves of emotion that Ami had never seen him express. She looked over at Goliathus helplessly, unsure what to do, and he gave her a slight nod, as if to say she **did** know what to do, she had done it before and it was a part of her that made her who she was.  
But before Ami could act, she saw her daughter Navius get up from the chair she had been glued to, and slowly make her way over to the much larger heradus. She put a comforting hand on his shoulder, and sat next to him on the edge of the chair.

Blinking Dinarius met her eyes and was amazed...it really had been ten years. The little lady that sat next to him was no longer an infant, she had grown, and her deep blue eyes mesmorized him. Her long brown hair, falling over her shoulders in gentle waves reminded him so much of her mother. He noticed the quiver strapped to her shoulder then, empty of arrows, but the designs on it were clearly the work of her father.

_So she became an archer? How fitting..._

He wanted to say something then and tell her, tell her she was beautiful as her mother, but she spoke first, her voice soft and small, but speaking volumes of compassion. _So much like her..._

"You're Uncle Dinarius." She said out loud, smiling then. "Momma talked about you a lot. She was always worried about you."

_Uncle_ Dinarius? "Was she?" He glanced over at Ami a moment, who gave another warm smile.

"Look at you Navi...you've become a fine little lady, haven't you?" He frowned slightly. "And because of me you had to do a very hard thing."

"Oh...the arrow...yeah." She looked down at the floor a moment, then over to Starcrow, still perched on the shelf with his back to them. He had gone so quiet one might think he was a mere stuffed decoration.

"It was hard, but I had to do it. I know I did. Starcrow helped me, and Maniel said it was the only way to cure you, to make the demon go away. I'm glad you're back though. I was only a little baby back then but I do remember you. More...more feelings than memories...feelings of being safe when you were around." She smiled at him again. "We all forgive you. It's not your fault what happened."

_She's right, Dinarius. None of us blame you. We're all just glad to have you back. _Ami added, attempting to give her own assurance.

He looked at Goliathus, wondering if he felt the same, but when me met eyes with the other heradus he could sense that he did. _We must restore your Ring, Dinarius. Time is running short. Marcus and Drakkon, it is my goal to destroy them, and surely I could use your help. _

Ring? His eyes widened, suddenly reaching behind his back. _Puvo, where is Puvo? Did he go back to the cave?_

_Puvo he...well. Drakkon got him, he is back at the castle, where they imprisoned you. We must go back to that castle, and find his remains._

_Remains? They killed him? _Dinarius felt the sadness well up within him but fought it back fiercely, trying to keep his composure. Oh but how he had failed...utterly and miserably failed. He thought back to the castle dungeon, tried to remember what Goliathus was talking about. He did remember the smell...the terrible odor which he knew now must be the human blood and the demon's essence...the trough...the human body parts bobbing around in it, the fear, the pain...and...Puvo...biting Drakkon's fingers with fierce determination and shrieking his high pitched call as the vampire laughed...squeezing his small body and draining the energy out of him. Puvo. He was loyal and had stayed by his master's side since the day he was created.

He couldn't even protect a bat let alone a human girl. Why would Navi believe in him? Why would any of them?

"We'll get him back, don't worry Uncle Dinarius. Starcrow was sick too, but grandpa helped us, and told us we could make him better. We're gonna find Puvo, and bring the Ring of the Dark Moon back...and then you and dad'll kill those ugly Shadow vampires once and for all!"

Dinarius finally noticed there was yet another individual in the room. He blinked in utter surprise at another child walking up to him as he spoke, instantly noticing the fiery orange eyes and the white hair that was much the same as Goliathus. This little one was shorter than his sister, and had small, half-grown wings wrapped tightly around his frame. The way he spoke with such confidence drove that emotion right into Dinarius, whether he wanted it there or not.

"Who...who are you?" he asked quietly, still surprised by his very existence.

"I'm Solarus!" he said proudly, flashing an impish grin and looking over at his sister, who just smirked.

"He's my impossible and annoying little brother." Navius stated. "But I love him anyway."

Ami laughed, and for a moment there was a much needed moment of respite that flowed through them all.

Dinarius looked over at Goliathus, staring for a few moments. _What is __**with**_ _you? I need to know how you do this, defying all laws of nature and doing what you do._

Goliathus grinned slightly, giving only a shrug of his shoulders.

Ami laughed again, but quickly enough she grew serious once more, letting her urgency be felt strongly to the both of them. _Look the reunions are wonderful, but we've really got to get out of here. We'll explain more to you later Dinarius, I promise. For now, I've got to get the kids back to safety, and then we have to restore your Ring. You're up to this, right? I mean, you're well again, for certain?_

Ami's slight doubt didn't surprise Dinarius at all...he felt great doubt within himself. But he sighed, taking a deep breath and knowing that he had to get back to the situation at hand...to put aside all the sadness and regret for what he had done and get back into action.

_Yes, yes Ami...I'm fine. Let's get out of here._

That was all they needed, Goliathus leapt into action first and grabbed a startled Starcrow from the shelf, perching him on his shoulder.

_Be mad at me later, my friend. For now, please...we need your help._

_Caw. _Starcrow puffed and truly looked angry, but he dug his little talons deeply into his shoulder. _Starcrow ready. Go._

_Good, good. _He looked over at the other crows, still on the table. _All of you go, outside...join with the rest of the Ring and then follow us. You will listen to Dinarius too, should he need your assistance._

The corvids did not hesitate for a second, cawing in their excitement and gathering into a cloud of flapping wings as they headed out the door and out of the labyrinth Their loud caws increased as they flew to join the others of their clan.

For a moment, the group hesitated at the door, peering down the dank and stony pathway, expecting to see Drakkon slithering about and waiting for them. But Goliathus could smell nothing, and was certain the vampires were not in the Labyrinth.

_Finally, Ami, we are leaving this place. _He took her gently into her arms, holding her close. _You are all right?_

_Hm, well..I feel about ready to faint but yes...let's hurry back home._

Goliathus nodded and ran down the pathway as fast as he could go, then flew out of the entrace. Dinarius followed close behind carrying Solarus who was looking back at his sister. She hesitated for a moment, but he noticed the determination on her face as she fought her anxiety and quickly swept into the air after them.

/

Jezelle held Patricia close as if she were her grandmother, patting her back and doing all she could to comfort her. No matter how strong one could be, something such as what this woman witnessed and all she had been through was certainly no easy task to endure. But even as this woman cried on her shoulder, she could sense this important chapter closing in her life. She had that ability now to move on, to heal a piece of her shattered heart.

But that was just Darry.

There was still Goliathus...and she could sense him coming near.

_Oh, child. What will we do when he gets here?_

"Sorry Jez, I'm messing up your shirt." Trisha pulled herself away, wiping the tears from her face. "I...I want to thank you, though. Just for being there. I needed that." She turned to Julie too, giving her a nod, which won her a smile.

"I hardly know you but I like you already." She said warmly, and handed her the bottle of vodka she had nearly finished off. "You want the rest of this?"

Trisha chuckled, gratefully accepting it but raising an eyebrow at her. "I bet I could drink you under the table. We should try that sometime."

They laughed for a minute, and Jezelle was glad to see that Trisha somehow was keeping her sanity. But that nagging fear of what would happen when the heradus got here worried her deeply. No matter how kind Goliathus could be now, he was still a frightening sight, and he also had the difficult task before him of seeking her forgiveness.

Even Jezelle wasn't so sure that was possible...no matter how hard Darry had pleaded with her.

_Jezelle._

The deep raspy voice sent a shock through the psychic, it couldn't be helped. _Goliathus. That you?_

_Yes. I am bringing the children to you. Starcrow and the Ring of Dark Fire will wait outside, surrounding the perimeter and keeping an eye out for the vampires. We will regroup at the Facility for a time, but our goal is to get the other Ring restored._

_You spoke to Maniel? Heaven's sake...sometimes I think my dreams are just that...dreams...and then the reality hits me all over again._

_I did. I have forgiven my father. Why are you so anxious?_

Jezelle paused, wondering what he meant, and then she remembered his incredible empathic ability. Even from afar, he was picking up on her worry. _It's...it's Patricia Jenner. She's here. Her brother came and said goodbye to her. It's your turn now, Goliathus, and you will have a difficult time of it. Please do your best to understand her, she is still terrified of you, and the memories haunt her just like your torture haunts you. You've got to somehow gain her confidence, and I don't know how you're gonna do it._

There was a long moment of silence, and she knew her words had hit hard. _Her brother...Darry is gone?_

_Yes Goliathus. He is. Trisha had to let him go, and you will too._

_/_

A couple of hours later they arrived. Trisha was still in the session room with Julie, and didn't notice, but Jezelle hurried to greet them and watched them as they entered through the broken roof. As Dinarius soared down with them she realized this was the first time she had met this other heradus, tall, slim, and sizing her up with intense blue eyes. But he had an impossibly kind face, and a nature about him that spoke volumes of difference in comparison to Goliathus. Although at the moment, that kindness was marred by infinite levels of sadness.

"Nana!" Navius ran to her as soon as her feet touched the floor and gave her a tight hug, surprising the psychic, but she smiled warmly and knelt down to her.

"So you're little Navius, are you? Well, not so little anymore. It's nice to meet you. And this little one, your brother, isn't he precious?" She gave him a hug too, which he gladly accepted, but she was surprised at her own words. It was hard not to instantly adore them, despite the fact they were only half human.

She felt the strong urge to protect them, and wondered if that was Maniel's influence, or a true part of herself.

Dinarius came over to her, sniffing her, curious. "The pyshic. So you're a protector, huh?"

Jezelle knew there was more in that statement then just words. "I am, just as you, I suppose. Now listen, you need to be careful of Trisha too...I'm worried it just might be too hard for her to deal with right now."

Dinarius thought on that, then nodded slightly. "You want me to stay out of sight?"

"For the time being...you understand, don't you?"

He sratched the back of his neck, hating how it felt so empty back there. "Yeah, yeah I understand." He merely walked away, into his old room, and shut the door.

Jezelle sighed, and stood her ground as Goliathus approached her. He smelled her too, in a manner that was all too familiar and still caused the fear to surge.

He grinned though, and tapped her shoulder as he walked past her. _You still smell bad._

_/_

Ami had gone back to the room where Julie was still chatting with Trisha, the two becoming fast friends. She hated to have to interrupt, but this was as important as it was difficult.

As she came in through the doorway Trisha noticed her first, slowly putting down her glass on the coffee table before her.

Suddenly, even Ami could even sense the increasing fear in the other's psyche.

"You...you must be Ami." _Which means that monster is here...he's __**here**__... _

"Yes, I am. I'm glad to meet you, Trisha. Look, why don't we talk, and-"

"He's here, right?" She blurted out, her eyes dancing about wildly as expecting to hear him roar out and come at her any second. "That monster is here? That _thing_?"

Ami felt a rush of anger but she quelled it. She had to, in order to help the emotionally unstable woman before her.

"His name is Goliathus," she stated evenly, folding her hands neatly in her lap after sitting down across from her. "And he's not a monster, he's a heradus."

"What's the difference?" Trisha countered, her eyes now locked on Ami. "He's not human. He's a monstrous killer. You know what my brother told me, right? How he saw those bodies in the church, strung up on the walls like some horrific version of the Sistine Chapel. A _monster_ does that, Ami. A **monster!**" She caught the rise in her voice,and shut her eyes quickly, calming herself. "Forgive me, but...you have to see it like I do. Say it like it is."

Ami didn't respond for a long time, as she regarded the other. Julie had remained silent, watching their encounter with strained hope...hope that was beginning to faulter.

"Goliathus did those things, yes...but it was the influence of a demon. Jezelle told you all of this right? And your brother...he wouldn't lie to you. I know it's hard, Trisha...and you want to blame him for everything. But whether you want to believe it or not, Goliathus has deep regret for what happened to your brother...and for many other victims. It was only recently, not so long ago, that he realized what was going on with him. He was blinded by pain and rage...and by memories of a horrible torture that you could not even fathom. Whatever pain you are feeling...that hurt you just want to go away..." she leaned in closer, nearing Trisha's face and staring her down, "...multiply that by three hundred and sixty five days. And then you tell me if you still think he's a monster. After all...humans did that to him. _Humans_."

Trisha drew back, eyes narrowing, but despite her inner fury she could not deny the story saddened her. But how could she ever forgive that bastard? How? Her hatred clung to her like an emotional barrier, one that was just too high for her to climb over.

"I don't know. I don't know, Miss Ami Quinton. I look at you and I know you're a good person...you managed to do what you do and supposedly change his ways, so at least other people aren't dying. But then I look at you, and I wonder...I wonder just _how_ anyone could go so far as to fall in _love_ with a monstrosity such as that. It's like saying a deer fell in love with a lion. It defies all the laws of nature on so many wrong levels...and all along, you know what he does...even if he's not killing humans...he's out there killing vampires, tearing their organs out, feasting on them...and you, you are in love with _that_?" She paused a long moment, before spitting out her next statement like a hissing snake. "It _sickens_ me, to even think of it."

Julie felt increasingly uncomfortable in that room then, the tension in the room so thick between those two it could be sliced with a knife. Jezelle and Darry had to be wrong. It would be far easier to take out Drakkon then to get Patricia Jenner to forgive her brother's killer.

Meanwhile, with only a wall between them, Goliathus was listening, and the words were stabbing him like daggers. Jezelle had gone to the kitchen with the children to get them fed, and also in an attempt to not overwhelm Trisha with the sight of them all at once.

But she had yet to even confront him and her fear was so strong it was drowning out much else. Fear...and utter hatred. It was painfully similar to the ones who tortured him, they had flooded his senses with that hatred, and despite his attempts to drown it out, he had slowly soaked it up like a sponge until it had blackened his own heart.

Now, he fought to resist the feeling to hate her right back. After all, Jezelle _had_ told Trisha the whole story, and despite knowing all he had suffered and endured, she still blamed him. It made him angry, and he clenched his fist hard enough to draw his own blood.

_Try to understand her, Goliathus. _Ami's words from before entered his brain, and he huffed.

It would be very difficult indeed.

For the both of them.

/

End of Chapter 30.


	31. Chapter 31

The Goliathus Chronicles

Chapter 31- The Confrontation

/

Dinarius sat on his bed, feeling utterly useless. Sure, he would just stay here in this room, hiding from that woman Patricia Jenner for her own sake. For _her_ sake. Well, what about his? If he had to hide from her, didn't that make him something like a monster? Something too frightening for that _poor woman_ to have to deal with? She had gone through hell losing her brother, surely, he knew that and understood, he could even sympathize. But that was Goliathus' doing, not his own. Why should he have to deal with all of this? It was a matter between them. Standing up then from his bed, he went to the door and opened it, heading right out without further thought on the matter. He was going to go out in the open and she would just have to deal with it, one way or the other.

_The hell with them. The hell with ALL of those humans. I'm not gonna stay in here hiding what I am or having to feel ashamed of it. Why the fuck should I?_

Dinarius huffed, his anger welling but still staying controlled.

_I would agree with you, Dinarius. We have always been so greatly misunderstood. Feared and hated by the humans we are supposed to protect. I would know how you are feeling right now._

Dinarius looked to the source of the voice and knew who he would see. Goliathus was leaning against the wall, close to the bars of the Atrium, and staring at him intently.

_Beyond that wall to the session room is Patricia Jenner, and fate has forced this reunion now. I am already sensing the all too familiar emotions, her loathing and her fear, spreading through her like a terrible disease. She sees me still as a monster, no matter what she has learned, and even though the very spirit of her brother told her otherwise, she still doubts the truth. So...here __**I**__ am, stuck in this dilemma I do not wish to be in, and having no choice but to relive those moments all over again. I want her forgiveness, but I also want nothing to do with her. She is both good and bad, and somewhere still inside, that demon is waiting for an opportunity to find its hold again. That bad part is what I worry about...that somehow she would only trigger its return, the more I sense her hatred enveloping me._

Dinarius listened closely, and sighed sadly. _I understand Goliathus. I do. But remember one thing, that demon is a foreign invader...like that disease you mentioned...and you and you alone can fight it like Ami has always tried to tell you. I believe that the only reason such emotions bring it back is because you __**let**__ that happen. _

Goliathus tilted his head, intrigued. He clearly wanted the other to elaborate.

_What I mean is...sometimes I think you enjoy being a killer more than you want to admit to even yourself. You like the sense of power, you crave it and need it. This in itself is not really the demon, Goliathus, it's just you. It only takes advantage of what you give to it, do you understand? You need to stop feeding that blasted entity, and eventually, it will starve, its energy will weaken, and you will cast it out. This is how I see it._

For once Dinarius was truly surprised, to see the others eyes lose their intense gaze, as he looked back towards the session room as if he could see Patricia straight through it. He nodded just slightly, barely noticeable, but said nothing more and walked towards the room slowly.

_Good luck with her. You'll need it._

_/_

"I think we did well, what do you think?" Solarus was sitting in the middle of his bed and picking at the talons on his feet, while he watched his sister rummage through her closet, hoping to find more arrows.

"Of course we did well, Sollie. We helped find the talisman, didn't we?" She sighed as she tossed aside another empty box.

"Yeah we did! And I don't understand why we have to stay here while they go after those vampires. What if they get hurt? They'll need our help!"

"Well..." Navi finally gave up, slamming her closet door in frustration. "They do have Starcrow and his Ring...and Uncle Dinarius. And to be honest, I don't know what good I'll be if all of my arrows are gone. Daddy hasn't had a chance to make more for me yet."

Solarus considered this, blinking and staring at the floor for a few moments. "Well you know how to make them, don't you?"

"Kind of. But he knows how to make them strong. I wouldn't even know where to start."

Frowning her brother gew silent, his little mind whirring. She sat on her own bed...more like flopped on it in a heap...and stared up at the ceiling. For a while, it was so quiet, and she was so exhausted, that she nearly fell asleep. But suddenly her brother gave a little yell, standing up on the bed, and she nearly jumped out of her skin.

"Solarus! What the-"

"The spells, duh! You could use a _spell _to make more arrows. We carried as many scrolls as we could, there has got to be one that could help us." He grinned wide at his own idea. "I bet they would be even stronger than the other ones!"

Navi raised an eyebrow, wondering about the idea. But she remembered all too well what her father had said, that dark magic was dangerous, and the price for using it was sacrifice.

"It would steal our energy, Solarus. Starcrow can use the dark magic because he was designed for it. What if it drains our energy?"

"But you did it before, when you said that spell that helped dad start to remember! Nothing bad happened then." He got off the bed and went to the bedroom door, opening it slowly and peering outside.

"I know we're not supposed to let that lady see us yet, but Nana is busy in the kitchen, we could sneak out just long enough to look through the scrolls dad put in the Atrium. We'll make a bunch of arrows, and maybe even some daggers for me, and then we can follow them without them knowing when they go after Marcus-"

Navius shook her head fiercely. "That sounds like a really bad idea, Solarus..."

"But we have to try! You know as well as I do it's unfair for us to just sit here and do nothing!"

"I know but you can't even fly yet, not really! And carrying you gets awfully tiring-"

"I'm sure we can find a spell for that too, like the one Starcrow used to levitate me!" Solarus kept interrupting, determined and stubborn as ever. His sister only sighed again, folding her arms, but regardless, she started to creep towards the Atrium.

Her brother, close on her heels, smirked in his small victory.

/

Ami leaned back in her couch, not tearing her gaze from Patricia who was pacing back and forth. "I've told you eveything I can tell you, Trisha. I really don't know what to say anymore."

Julie, who had been pretty quiet through the whole thing, finally spoke up.

"Look girl I know it's hard but...even I came to like Goliathus, I learned the truth and realized it just wasn't his fault...not really. You've got to believe us when we tell you that he's _not_ the same creature he was before."

Trisha stopped in her tracks with a startled laugh. "Creature. You keep saying that."

"Because I won't call him a monster. It just isn't true."

"No. No, I guess some winged being going around ripping the body parts off of humans, vampires, or whatever, isn't a monster." The sarcasm in her voice was cleary evident, causing Julie to look at Ami as if to say she had run out of ideas.

"Actually it would be called a predator. Have you ever seen those nature documentaries?" Ami's voice had grown considerably low, she was forcing herself to remain composed.

"Yeah, of course I have. What's your point?"

"Well I've seen some pretty horrific things on those, how sometimes lions will begin to eat their prey while it's still alive. The animal is still bleating and writhing around, but the lions ignore it, and continue to feast. But you see it's not because their evil or cruel. They're just predators, and it's the law and nature of things."

Trisha sat back down in her seat, shaking her head at Ami. "That's a poor analogy, considering the predator you speak of has an intelligence on the level of humans, and he _does enjoy _the suffering of others!"

"No, no he doesn't. He thought he did. But that was the demon. The demon corrupted him, and he always put up a front, pretending the screams of his victims didn't bother him, but it did."

"You keep talking about a demon, but I don't know that I even believe that...or even a God for that matter. All I know is that your _heradus_ out there, that freak of nature, killed my baby brother...and made him _suffer_...so despite what Darry says, I will _never _forgive him."

Ami frowned, blinking sadly at her. Julie went to say something, but the words died in her throat. At this point, she doubted anything she could say would make one iota of difference.

Jezelle entered the room then, looking at all of them silently for a long few moments before speaking softly in her southern accent. "Goliathus, he's close behind me. He wants to talk to her."

Every muscle in Trisha's body tensed, and she slowly stood, edging farther away towards the back wall. Her fear was so obvious it filled the room like smoke, choking. She found it difficult to breathe.

"Trish there's nothin' more I can do, nor Ami...or even Julie. You're gonna have to do this on your own."

"No..._no! _Don't you leave me in this room alone with him!" She shouted the words, her eyes growing moist.

Ami got up slowly, saying nothing and heading towards Jezelle, brushing past her. Julie hesitated for a moment, then got up, and followed without another word.

"He ain't gonna hurt you, Trish. You'll see, he even looks different."

"Did you hear what I said? Don't you d_are_!"

Jezelle could register her pounding heart, see the color drain from her face as sweat trickled down the curves of her neck.

But her face grew tight, and she took a few steps towards her. "I told you, Ms. Jenner, that you're gonna have to be a strong woman. I know you are, but right now you're letting fear overtake your good sense, and you know better. No one said it was gonna be easy Trish, no one! But there is no other way for you to overcome this then to face it head on...you hear me, child?"

Trisha found it impossible to answer, as she sank down to the ground, holding her knees tightly to her chest.

Jezelle had nothing more to say. She turned and walked out, leaving Trisha to face the open doorway and the confrontation she had dreaded for over twenty-three years.

/

Dinarius had heard every word...and he felt that he should just walk into that room with Goliathus and force her to deal with him as well. In some ways he pitied that poor soul, but he was starting to understand part of why Goliathus had such little respect for humans, save the ones he actually cared about. Humans were so irritating and unjust. They wanted so much from their world, and tried to play as gods, controlling everything and expecting everything. But when they lost that control...they often blamed everyone and everything but themselves.

Maniel said he was sorry, he offered to take away his son's memories of the torture. Why hadn't he?

_Goliathus you should have let him. He deserved it, and yet once again, you still felt that __**you**__ deserved it...when you did nothing wrong._

He did aim that thought openly at Goliathus, but he didn't respond to it. He crossed the threshold, and Dinarius decided in that moment, that he _was_ going to go in there...if only to defend one of his own kind.

/

For Trisha, it was like a surreal nightmare when the tall and looming figure she so dreaded filled the doorway, pausing as he saw her hunched against the wall as if she could wrap herself into it and disappear. She wanted to cry, but no tears came. She wanted to scream, but no sound would form in her throat. Her frantic heartbeat registered loudly in her ears and still she felt as if she might pass out.

_This isn't happening. This whole thing is a dream. Oh gawd, oh gawd...please tell me this __**isn't happening**_!

She saw him take a few more steps closer, but he went no further then that, finally sitting down on the couch.

And then, another followed. Quite different in appearance, but the fluffy white mane down his back and intense blue eyes were impossible not to notice. She remembered the descriptions Jezelle had told her...this was Dinarius.

That name, so close to her brother's. It was both odd and disturbing.

Her body wouldn't move, she tried, but nothing happened. The fear was disabling her, and she hated every moment of it.

Gone. Trisha just wanted him gone, then she would blink, open her eyes, and convince herself it really had been a dream, and nothing more.

"Huh..." Dinarius broke the silence, not seeming to notice or even care about her fear of them. "You look a lot like a scared rabbit, trapped in a burrow. It's amusing."

_Dinarius._

"What? Don't you find it funny? I do." His bitter attitude had surprised Goliathus, but only briefly. After all, he had experienced that horrible entity, and he doubted he would ever be the same. Still, he gave him a warning stare, and the other fell silent, crossing his arms.

Trisha narrowed her eyes, incredulous. Was he mocking her? It was bad enough she even had to be in the same room with them, and now this other freak was mocking her?

"I have thought often about what I would say to you, but now, it has all become as a blank canvas. You have questions for me...Patricia... so ask them." His deep, raspy voice filled the room, and for a moment Trisha was filled with wonder.

_He speaks?_

She bit her bottom lip hard, struggling with both the overwhelming fear and raging anger. Finally, she managed to get to her feet.

"I do have one question for you. It's been on my mind for years...endless days and endless months, always asking myself the same question, over and over."

Goliathus only nodded, and her face darkened.

"Why didn't you take me instead?"

He sighed deeply, troubled more by the fact that it seemed all she had been told had not registered in her mind, it had simply hit a wall that she had built up around herself, holding onto the only emotion that she knew.

"Because the demon told me to ignore you. And back then, I had little defense against it."

" _Liar! I don't believe in __**fucking**__ demons!_" She screamed out, grabbing a nearby book she found on a lamp table and hurling it at him. He saw it coming as if in slow motion and easily dodged, but her face had gone red with fury. "The only demon around here, if they do exist, is _you_!" She seemed to have tuned out Dinarius for the moment, who didn't react to her outburst.

_Time is funny that way... _Goliathus said, aiming his mental words at Dinarius, ..._the past comes back around as if a circle, and once again, events unfold in a similar fashion. _

_Hits a little too close to home, huh? _Dinarius frowned, feeling sympathy for him. _Her voice is annoying. If she screams again I'm going to put a gag in her mouth._

_Tempting thought, Dinarius. But she is afraid, and it is clouding her judgement. I do not want to deal with this either, but I know it must be done._

_Yeah? Well how the hell are you supposed to make her less afraid of you, Goliathus? Even I think you're scary._

_You're not helping-_

_Sorry, sorry. But really? This seems impossible if you ask me._

_I must try. I must do as Ami has told me, and be patient._

"I am not a demon, but think of me as you will. All I can tell you is that I am sorry, and I have felt great regret over the death of your brother. But he has forgiven me. If you cannot, then I will have to accept that and move on. Your fear however, is unwarranted. I am not here to harm you, and neither is Dinarius."

"Well except if you scream again I might be forced to-"

"_Dinarius _is a protector," Goliathus quickly interjected, "And like me, he is a hunter of vampires."

Trisha said nothing, staring at him with fury still in her eyes but she had calmed down a little. She somehow managed to tear her terrified gaze away from Goliathus and look at the other heradus, who still regarded her with an unimpressed air about him.

"You...what about you? Ever kill any humans?"

He blinked, and knew he would be lying now if he said no. It was a painful, bitter truth that he wished he could just erase. _Oh how I will make you suffer Drakkon. You just wait._

"Yes, I am afraid so. But it was the same demon who cursed Goliathus, the vampires managed to turn it onto me. They wanted to corrupt me in the same way, hoping they could get me to go after Ami, the children, Goliathus...whomever didn't matter. But this is the kind of force we're dealing with here. Those vampires are bad news, and you have to believe us when we tell you that everything Jezelle and Ami said was the truth." He spoke in a low voice, but Trisha hung on his every word.

"Children?" she asked. Amazingly, she slowly sat down on the couch, but sitting much farther away from Goliathus.

_They did explain all of this to her, right?_

_Yes. But she is not letting it sink in._

_Christ. We have to keep repeating ourselves like a broken record?_

Goliathus ignored him and nodded slowly to Trisha. "Do you wish to see them?"

"Seriously? How is that even...possible?" She clung to one of the couch pillows, holding it tightly as if it were some kind of shield.

"I am not sure. It was not supposed to be _possible_. But then again, Ami is not like other humans. She never has been."

"Look you'll see how innocent they are. And maybe that will help you fear us just a little less."

/

Ami had gone to Goliathus' art ledge, slowly climbing up the ladder. Now she was running her hands over the paintbrushes on the easel, and the assorted parts for weapons on the table nearby, in various stages of completion. All of this, she admired, and her love for him was so strong that to know the woman downstairs kept spewing the words "monster" and "demon" at him was bringing tears to her eyes. It made her think of that troubling day when Goliathus had bared his very soul and told her everything...every last excruciating detail of his torture. After that was over, she had felt so much sadness for him that she had felt very much like Maniel did now...wanting to take it all away.

Oh how she wished she could. But in the end, the only real thing she could for him was to love him.

To just accept him for what he was, and nothing more.

After all, that was the only thing he had ever wanted.

The empathic bond between them had grown powerful over the years, she could feel his hurt and anger at Trisha, she didn't understand him, and she didn't even seem to want to try. And yet, he kept his composure. He was trying to remain calm and controlled, because Ami wanted that of him, and he knew it was the right thing to do.

_Oh how far you've come along...sometimes Goliathus, I think you are stronger than I am._

Shuffling noises suddenly caught her attention, and she peered over the ledge to see her children going through the scrolls they had managed to grab from the Great Room, trying to be discreet.

_What are you two doing?_

Solarus quicky looked up, doing his best to appear innocent. 'We were uh...just curious to know what these scrolls said."

Ami raised an eyebrow, looking back and forth between them. "Seriously? This is your mother you're dealing with. What are you two up to?" She climbed down.

Navi looked at her brother for a while then slowly spoke. "I don't have any more arrows...so, I was hoping there would be a spell that maybe could make more of them. I just asked Solarus to help me look."

"Your father will make more for you, just not now. And Navi, you are _not_ going with us. Either of you."

"But mom!" Solarus whined, but she knelt down before them, putting her hands on their shoulders. "Believe me I understand. You want to help and it's only natural to want to protect the ones you love. But those vampires are just too dangerous, and you'll have to leave it to the, eh, shall we say, e_xperts."_

Navi struggled back the tears, but she was clearly not convinced. "If they're so dangerous what says you'll come back? What if they even manage to kill daddy or Uncle Dinarius? _What then_?"

Ami brought her close, hugging her tightly. "Oh Navi there is no other alternative. But you have to have more faith in your father then that. He's been around for a very long time, and I have confidence he's going to succeed."

"How long?" Solarus asked, his eyes widening.

Ami blinked at him, grinning slightly. "Well...he's...well over a thousand years by this point."

The two looked at each other, stunned. "Is it the dark magic? Is that how he could live so long?"

"Yes...that's pretty much the reason."  
"Us too?"

She nodded.

"And you momma? We'll always be together forever?"

A silence fell. Ami remembered clearly what Goliathus had told her, but none of them knew what would happen, or if it was even guarunteed to work. _Together forever..._

"Humans are different. We age. We don't have the dark magic, _but..._" she would tell them, why should it be kept secret? "...your grandfather told us there might be a way. Now listen, I don't want you to disobey and end up following us anyway. Promise me. Promise me you won't do that."

Though crestfallen, Solarus nodded slowly. "Can we still go through the scrolls? At least there might be something useful in there dad could use..."

"Yeah sure, why not? Just don't _read_ any of them out loud. If you find something, just let him know."

"Ok momma...I sure hope grandpa can make you like one of us."

"Yeah, you could fly like we do, and then we could _all_ go hunt vampires someday!"

Ami couldn't help but giggle, she grabbed them both now into a tight hug, then got back to her feet. She looked back to the session room, noticing it had grown quieter.

"One more thing, what's with that lady momma? Why does she say such mean things to daddy?" Navius sighed, looking towards the room herself. "I don't like her much."

Ami found herself not knowing how to respond. Could she tell them about their father's past? Now? They were so young...and she didn't want their strong image of their father to be marred by such a horrible story.

"Well...Trisha is just...she-"

"She's going to at least..._try_." Dinarius stepped out of the room, shaking his head. "I mean, she's leaving...she doesn't want to stick around here and I can't blame her, but I think she's going to go sleep on this for a while, so to speak."

At that moment Trisha hurried out of the room as well and walked straight up to Ami, Julie close behind.

"I can't deal with this anymore, I have to leave, but-" her words caught as she looked at the two children standing on either side of her.

Ami smiled, trying once more to assure her. "This is Navius...and Solarus."

Trisha didn't smile, she stared at them for a while and then back up to Ami. "The first one could have been labeled a mistake. I can't blame you for that. But the second one..."

Dinarius's eyes narrowed, he felt a strong desire to go in front of them and growl fiercely, hoping to cause the scared little rabbit to go running out of their lives. He looked back as if to find support from Goliathus, but the other was still in the room.

"What are you saying?" Ami said, her voice even but clearly a warning.

"I'm saying why would you bring more of these monsters into the world?" Trisha shook her head, stepping back now. "I'm out of here, and I don't plan on ever coming back."

"But Patricia, you-"  
"No, no, don't try and say anything more. I'm going to think on things, Miss Ami Quinton, but that's all I'm going to promise you for now."

With that, Trisha left in a hurry, starting up her blue Chevy and kicking up angry clouds and dust as she sped down the pathway and out of sight.

/

"She called your children monsters! They've done nothing wrong, they're completely innocent. I, for one, am glad she's gone. If we never see her again it would be a blessing." Dinarius sat sprawled out on the couch, his one leg hanging over and tapping his claws on the floor.

Ami hadn't said much since Trisha left. It had tore through her heart like a knife to have heard what Trisha said, and in _front _of her children no less. Their reaction was mixed, Navius looked hurt and sad, but Solarus had only stared back at her defiantly.

Goliathus however, was livid. It was one thing to go about calling _him_ a monster...but his children?

_She will not forgive me. And now, perhaps I do not care._

Ami was sitting beside him, leaning against his shoulder.

_I know, I know._

_She is far too much like Moren. A female version. If she had been there, in that dungeon, she would have joined them. She wishes to do it now, to hurt me and cause suffering._

_Goliathus...her brother's loss was too much for her. You have to undestand the grand scale of things...humans go around not knowing creatures like you exist, and then, in one night not only does she learn that but she is torn from her brother. You do understand how that could mentally disable someone?_

_You were brought to madness by that torture. I told you this was not going to be easy. But we will have to deal with her again. _

_Although...for the time being, even I'm in no hurry for that to happen._

_No child, not even a half heradus one, should have to endure being called a monster. _He growled, feeling slight pangs of the demonic influence, screaming out for him to listen and go hunt her down, to kill her. But the talisman glowed, and the thought was lost.

_I agree...I wanted in that moment to hate her too, but she is frightened and we just have to give her time._

Ami looked over at Dinarius. "Right? Give her time."

"Peh. Whatever."

"Dinarius, you're starting to worry me. Please, don't let that awful anger and hatred start to rule you, too." Her warm eyes pleaded with him, and he sighed, powerless to resist. "Yeah, yeah. I know, I do. She's going to be difficult but we just have to exude as much patience as we can." Ami smiled at him.

"Can we go and get my bat back now?" he reached back to scratch at the spot Puvo once clung to, frowning. "I feel so incomplete without him there."

Ami nodded, but she looked at Goliathus and then back to him. "Yes that's our next major plan...but there is something we need to do first."

"Hm?" he blinked, curious.

"We're going to start a little...experiment. You see, Maniel told Goliathus that there could be a way to make me immortal, but the outcome is unknown. Still, I've thought about this long and hard, and as a human, at least a mortal one, I'm quite useless. I can't be more than a burden, with you two always trying to shield me from harm. I've decided...that I'm going to take this risk. If it works, then I can a_ssist _you in fighting the vampires...and better protect my children as well."

Dinarius had grown quite still, his eyes had widened into saucers. "Not...not the _infusion_...tell me that's not what Maniel is implying."

They both looked at Dinarius, questioning. "What do you know? Infusion? Is that the kind of spell it is?"

"Infusion...it's the same way Maniel created the familiars, and the heradus as well. Yes in a way it's a spell, but only partly...you see he would infuse the mixed blood of the various animals into them and hope it would take. And very often...it would _fail_."

"How did it fail? Why?" Ami asked, her hope diminishing.

"You saw all the skeletons in the Laybrinth, right? They are the bones of all the animals that died in the process. Why? Because as you now know dark magic takes energy, steals it away. Trying to overcome that part of it is very difficult to do. As he told you, he and the other mages eventually died from using it, as they were bravely sacrificing their own energy in order to make the creations succeed."

_So then without them, it cannot be done? Why would my father bother to suggest it then?_

"No it can be done, but it will more than likely kill Ami before the transformation is complete. That's what I'm telling you."

Goliathus turned to Ami, sadness heavy in his eyes. _I cannot do this if it would only mean your death... I would rather have you for only a few more decades than to lose you in only a few days._

_But this is the chance I want to take, Goliathus. It's not just for me, but our children too._

_I cannot...lose you..._

Ami put her arms around him and kissed him deeply, causing Dinarius to look away, a slight scowl on his face. He sometimes wondered why his eyes weren't green, so great was his jealousy.

He didn't want to lose Ami either, but sometimes he found himself wishing Goliathus would just disappear, so that he could have her all to himself.

"Dinarius..."

He slowly looked back towards them.

"How long would it take, if it did work?"

He sighed deeply, shaking his head at her. "If it did, Ami, it would take only days, a week maybe. It's a powerful, strong, and _painful_ process, but it works quickly." He huffed. "But I suggest you listen to Goliathus, and get this nonsense out of your head. We don't want to lose you."

"But Maniel is the one who told us about it!"

"He's a man obsessed with dark magic. Of course he would suggest it, of course he would believe in it. But that doesn't mean you should do it."

_Ami..._

_I am doing this Goliathus. Please, you asked me before, and I accepted. Now you're changing your mind? I have a good feeling about it, I'll be fine, I know I will._

_But if you die...I will not keep my sanity. I know that I will not, and I barely cling to it to begin with._

"He's making a good point..." Dinarus got to his feet. "...but whatever you decide, leave me out of it. If you want to throw away your life then go ahead."

"Dinarius!"

He ignored her, walking out of the room, and heading towards the scent of warming meat that was not permeating the room from the kitchen. Jezelle was in there with the children, preparing food for them.

Trembling with frustration Ami got up and went to go after him, but Goliathus stood immediately and gently grabbed hold of her arm.

_He desires you greatly, Ami. It is why he acts this way. I am starting to believe that perhaps he is even making the whole process worse than it really is. Why would my father only condemn you to death? I have a hard time believing this._

_But you even seemed to believe him._

_I did, but then, I felt his jealousy at your kiss, and that has awakened a knew understanding of Dinarius in my mind. He simply wants you for himself, and does not feel that I even deserve you._

_He's lying then? He'd just lie to me like that?_

_No, not entirely at least. I do believe infusion is risky, and perhaps it __**has**__ killed many animals. But then again, those were animals and the only human ever to go through infusion, was my mother. That is how she ended up giving birth to me. And...she did survive the ordeal. Still, l fear what it would do to you, but I realize I have no right to go against your wishes._

She smiled warmly at him, hugging him again and running her fingertips lazily down his back. He growled lightly, amazed at the intrusion of desire that broke right through his other emotions.

Ami smirked, pulling away and gazing into his grey eyes.

"Find a syringe. Start it now. Let's not waste anymore time."

_Perhaps if we made love first, we would both be much more relaxed, and the process would go more smoothly._

Ami laughed outright, poking him in the chest. _That's some awfully interesting logic._

_It is the logic of hormones, I would presume._

Laughing again, she curled a finger at him and bid him to follow as she headed over to the Atrium.

Grinning wickedly, he followed her.

/

End of Chapter 31.

_Don't worry I'm not cheatin' ya. A bit of adult material will be in the next chapter. XD This was in fact the most difficult chapter of all, because it was the long awaited confrontation between Trisha and Goliathus. I hope I did well._


	32. Chapter 32

The Goliathus Chronicles

Chapter 32- Infusion

/

Having experienced childbirth...twice, was nothing compared to this. Just hours before Ami had enjoyed a time of relaxation with Goliathus, although it had to be short-lived. The crows around the perimeter were now cawing loudly in warning...they sensed a vampiric presence out there whose identity was unknown at the moment.

_Maybe this was not the best idea...to do this now..._

Ami heard Goliathus, somewhere amidst the waves of pain that strangled out her other senses, but she could not respond. Her fingernails were cutting into his skin as she gripped onto his arms tightly, breathing hard and repressing the urge to scream. Every part of her felt as if it just might split apart. She felt his arms support her more tightly...and his growing anxiousness.

She concentrated on their union just a while before. Not wanting to go too far from the watchful guard of the Ring of Dark Fire, Goliathus had taken her to the children's discovery some time ago...a small cave quite near to the Facility. Whilst Jezelle had them distracted with eating (along with a very disgruntled Dinarius), they had sought out just a couple of hours together, something that was becoming harder and harder to do. Goliathus, as usual, had owned her in every sense of the word, he was a never-tiring lover and no matter how exhausted she became she could never get enough of him.

As usual the union was heated, crazed even...and for a third time some very familiar sensations caressed through her thighs and tingled their way up her spine.

_I have a feeling..._

_A good one, I hope. _He had grinned at her, still pounding into her slick warmth as he supported her against the rocky formation of the cave wall. Not entirely the most comfortable position, but the pleasure drowned out her lower back's complaints. She shivered as she felt him growl, his release near.

_Mmmm...of course good...amazing actually...but that's not what I mean... _Panting Ami found even her mind voice faltering as he prodded her to turn around and she did so, loving the feeling of his strong arms gripping around her midsection as he took her from behind. _The last time...this...happened... _she cried out loudly, the sudden and intense orgasm wracking her entire body and turning her legs into jello. Her contractions sent her otherworldly lover over the edge, and he roared out from his own climax, the sound reverberating throughout the cave.

Still panting and trying to find her breath, Ami leaned into his neck and kissed him there, lingering. Whatever thought she had just didn't seem to matter anymore. She was rather surprised, however, as even Goliathus seemed to have tired this time, or at least for the moment. He slumped against the cave wall, resting, but she also knew that part of his fatigue was mental. There was just so much going on that both of them were exhausted in every sense of the word. How much more could either of them take...or could _Goliathus_ take, before his fragile sanity shattered? Her gaze then fell upon the talisman, which seemed to glow back at her in response. _I hope you really can keep him in control._

Goliathus didn't seem to pick up on that thought. He slowly got to his feet and locked eyes with her, frowning then as he knew there would be no more delaying.

_This will be hard for me. I do not like those things...at all._

Ami frowned herself, as she reached into her jeans pocket and felt the syringe. She had decided it would be best to get the deed done here, or at least started...while they stole some time together in the cave.

_I know...I know. _She reached forward and stroked his face, to which he closed his eyes, purring, always absorbing her affection like a sponge. _But this will be me, my love. Not even I would let anyone else get one of these things close to you. Just look away._

Goliathus did so, turning his head away and sending his mind to some far off place. Ami withdrew the syringe from her pocket and examined it briefly, making sure it wasn't cracked or damaged in some way. She had to use a big needle, for skin as tough as his. The thought of causing him any pain this way worried her, it was nothing he couldn't handle, certainly, but the _memory _ of it was the problem. Sighing slightly she took the rubber band and tied it tightly around the middle of his arm, near the elbow. Finding his veins was not a hard task, they bulged out quite easily. Hovering the tip of the needle over the exposed vein for only a moment she then plunged it in carefully with calculated precision. Goliathus jerked, and growled low, but he didn't attempt to pull his arm from her. Ami quickly pulled the plunger back, withdrawing a thick dark liquid that was more black than red. When the syringe was full she quickly took it out and put it on the ground beside her.

_All done._

He turned slowly to look at his arm briefly, studying the darkened spot where it had stuck his vein. _Not so bad...I guess._

_I'll give you a lollipop later for being such a good boy. _She chuckled at him, and he only huffed at her.

_Well now, I guess I have to do this part myself, huh?_

_You do not expect me to handle that thing, do you? I am not so sure I even want to let you go through with this. For me, this is a prick of a needle, even if the memories are hard. For you, this could be pain like you have never known before._

_But you know I have to do this, Goliathus. The pain doesn't scare me as much as the chance of losing my family does._

Clearly the heradus had no response to that, she was right, and he showed it with a slight nod of his head, sighing.

Ami gathered courage from some hidden place, picking up the syringe, and quickly injecting herself before she could get a chance to let her mind hesitate.

The first sensation was mild burning. But by the time the syringe had emptied, even she was surprised at how the burning quickly turned to a sensation much like fire, ripping its way through her arm and into her neck, and down the other side. Goliathus had quickly reached out to support her as she grew dizzy and slumped forward.

And so here they were now, with her clinging to him desperately, and his increased nervousness quite obvious. He was saying something again, trying to soothe her, but this was so mind-blowingly painful that she realized she was attempting to scream, but no sound was coming out of her mouth. The fiery pain was still increasing, she felt it now down her back, and two sharp pains ebbed there between her shoulder blades. It rushed down to her fingers, her toes, and back up to her nether regions.

_Maniel? You...sure...about...this...?_

Then the pain was in her midsection, stronger and stronger, blinding. Ami was not fully aware of her own movements, but suddenly there was the sensation that she was struggling, feeling moist clumps in her hand. Looking down she realized it was dirt and bits of stone, and her hands were bleeding, she was writhing and kicking out on the ground. Goliathus was frantic, holding her tight and rocking her against him, as Ami now screamed, and loudly.

/

Dinarius finished off his piece of liver, now feeling satisfied. He had gotten done squabbling with Solarus for that last morsel, who seemed to claim every piece of liver in the entire kitchen. _I didn't know a kid could have such an appetite._

_Vampire hunting is hard work, wouldn't you say? _He grinned his toothy smile at him, and looked over at his sister, who had been eating slowly, lost in thought. She looked hurt and sad, clearly Trisha's harsh words were still affecting her. Solarus frowned, looking back to Dinarius. _Are we monsters? We don't look like momma or nana._

Huffing, Dinarius shook his head. _No, of course not Solarus. Calling a child a monster makes __**her**__ the monster. Now you listen, never pay any attention to something like that. I myself have been called many things, and very few were nice, but I've never let that bring me down. And you shouldn't either. The both of you are very talented, smart kids, and I'm sure impressed with you._

Solarus beamed, his mood changing rapidly as usual, and his sudden hug caused Dinarius to blink down at him, caught off guard.

_I'm so glad to have you for an uncle. _He smiled again, then quickly hopped off his chair at the table. _I'm going to see if I can find dad, I found a scroll that could be useful. It said something about mental blocking although I don't really understand what it means._

_Mental blocking? _Dinarius raised an eyebrow, that sounded awfully familiar, but he just couldn't place it. _Yeah, well, good luck finding your dad. When he wants to go off somewhere and be alone...especially with your mom... _he quickly cleared his throat. _Well...yeah...just wait for them here, Solarus. You know you can't go outside anyway._

Suddenly he noticed Navius, tears brimming in her eyes as she stared at nothing on the table.

"Navi?"

She turned to him, blinking her large blue eyes at him which caused the a couple of tears to spill over, slowly cascading down her face. "Momma...she seems so far away. I'm worried."

Dinarius frowned. _Not the damned infusion. I warned them...why didn't they fucking listen to me? _He set the thought deep in his own mind, trying to keep the kids from picking up on it. They didn't, but Navius could still sense something was wrong. She was looking at him still, hoping for answers. He sighed, shaking his head at her.

_I think your mom might have mentioned...about trying to become like us, remember?_

Navi nodded, but her frown only deepened. _But if she becomes like us, then Trisha is just going to call her a monster too._

_Well who freaking cares? I told you, we're not monsters. If anything, we're superior to humans. In a big way._

Solarus seemed to like that idea. _I'd say we are._

_Solarus..._

_But it's true! Uncle Dinarius is right. We're not monsters and we're just __**better**__ than those stupid humans._

Dinarius chuckled, but Navius didn't seem so happy with the conversation. Without either of them even realizing as they chattered on, she quietly slipped out of the kitchen.

/

Marcus heard the crows, who were still incessantly giving out their warning calls, and he silently cursed them. The spells must have truly gotten stronger, even his magic wasn't hiding his energy anymore. Drakkon, he wasn't sure where that useless asshole had gone off too, but he was all alone now. _Fucking worm. Leaving me here by myself to deal with this, when you're supposed to be __**helping**__. Or maybe you're just more of a coward than you'd admit? One little taste of Dark Fire...and heh...off ya go, running away like a dog with his tail between his legs. _

Marcus flashed his teeth in anger, and slowly stood up a few more inches from his crouched spot behind a boulder. In the distance, he could see the Facility. He could also see the black dots littering the perimeter, all over the place like a plague. Starcrow's white star glowed faintly in the dark, as he scanned back and forth, his feathery head constantly jerking back towards the center and in Marcus' direction over and over again, making the vampire nervous. He sensed something...knew he was nearby, which was unsettling. There was no way he was going to sneak his way in there now, in an attempt to kidnap that human Ami. Being that she was a weak mortal he could use her easily to manipulate the master heradus who had let himself fall to such a pitiful state as to love a human.

_Pathetic fool, if you were still the Creeper I'd at least have some iota of respect for you. But look at you now, following your little bitch around and answering to her whims. You couldn't even kill that whore Patricia...who hates you with a passion. Hm, Patricia. She's tasty at least..._

Marcus couldn't surpress the grin that spread over his features. He had seen the blue Chevy, heading down the gravel pathway and turning onto the road, and could smell this one's delicious blood, pulsing through her veins like sweet nectar for the taking. And take he had...after jumping in front of the car and causing her to swerve and crash into a sign post, he had dragged her stunned body from the wreck and plunged his long fangs into her neck, drinking deeply. Moaning she writhed and fought him desperately despite his overwhelming strength, but he just held her down, chuckling through his swallows. When he finally let her go, she was pale and clammy. He simply left her there, on the road. Sooner or later, Drakkon or one of the other Shadows would find her. Perhaps they'd even turn her into one of them.

_Geh. I actually feel bad for her. Who'd want to be one of those things? _Marcus shrugged, and with an irritated sigh knew he'd have to abandon his plans once again. The whistle was useless, he tried to use it again, but it seemed the demonic force was long gone, or at least greatly weakened. A shudder of rage coursed through him as he realized the implications of that. Without the demon...he was sure Goliathus would be far more troublesome.

More so than usual.

/

_Ami? Ami? Wake up!_

Her head throbbed like someone had pummeled it with a rock, that was the first sensation that came to Ami's mind as she slowly opened her eyes, the world starting out fuzzy then slowly coming into clearer view. At first, she didn't really know where she was, but then the memories came back in a jumble. The cave, the _great_ sex...then, pain. Just a steady, agonizing, and quite unbearable pain.

Oddly enough that pain was gone. Her arm still throbbed a bit where she had injected herself, but the rest of her felt fine. In fact, she was feeling more energy than she had in a _long_ time.

_Well, I'm not dead._

_That is not funny._

_Gollie, you really need to lighten up, you know that?_

_What is this expression, "lighten up?" _He gazed up briefly at the cave ceiling as if to see something there. Ami rolled her eyes, sighing, and looked over her arms.

_I don't see anything different, do you?_

_Not really...except that your eyes are like mine now._

_Huh?_

Goliathus looked towards the opening of the cave and gave a jerk of his head, indicating they should leave. _I will take you inside and show you._

_Uhm...okay..._

Ami wasn't sure whether or not she actually wanted to see what he meant, but then again, why should it bother her? She had been wondering, and trying to picture in her mind, what she might look like if she were actually to turn into a heradus. But some part of her human conscious seemed to reject that idea. It felt like a violation in the back of her mind...something impossible to describe.

Forcing herself to move she got up, slightly dizzy at first but the sensation passed quickly, she followed Goliathus out of the cave and they quickly went back inside. The crows surrounding the perimeter watched them. She wondered how much they saw of what happened in the cave.

_They certainly don't miss anything going on, do they?_

/

"Perfect." This was the one very sarcastic word that Dinarius uttered, as he looked over Ami himself in her bedroom mirror. Goliathus seemed pleased, she seemed bright and alert, and anything but ill. But the woman's once human eyes had turned into cat-like slits, surrounded by an unusual shade of blue...that reminded him much of the sky's pale color. He continued to pat her up and down, causing Ami to fold her arms and purposefully clear her throat.

"Is this a security check? Are you going to do a cavity search next?"

Dinarius gave a snort but didn't stop his careful inspection. "I'm looking to see what else has changed, Ami. I doubt it's just your eyes. You probably don't even notice what else has changed...internally, I doubt you're the same either. The digestive juices you have in your stomach now could probably burn through stone." Ami grinned, always amazed by the tidbits Dinarius released...he seemed to know a lot about his kind and the Mages. A lot more than Goliathus ever had, which struck her as both odd and depressing at the same time. That train of thought was lost when Dinarius suddenly lifted her shirt off before she could even blink.

"What the hell?"

"Uh-huh. See. Look at that."

Ami looked down at her belly, seeing an odd darkening of her skin there. What was that all about? She also noticed, with widening eyes, that tiny points of what seemed like spines were starting to emerge from her sides. "That's...interesting. I get the spines, but what's with the dark color?"

"That's a good question. But I'd wager it's a simple explanation...your skin tone is changing. We often have darker shades, as you've obviously seen. Grey is quite common...Navi's blue is unusual but somehow familiar...if there were more females they may have been that color." He shrugged. "Who knows? Some things I can only guess at."

_Is there any more need for injections? _Goliathus frowned then, gaining instant attention from the other heradus. _This first one was...difficult._

_Well that's a TAME way of putting it, oh wise leader. This is just a little teaser. Wait until the real transformation starts. And yes, you need to do it again. This is as far as the first infusion will take her. And you have to do it again soon, because otherwise, the effect will wear off, and the result will be that she will start to fall apart...literally. It's what happened to those animals...they started to rot from the inside out._

Ami stared into the mirror, frowning herself, but she seemed more disappointed than anything. "I would have hoped for more. Goliathus, we should do this again now."

"No, no, NO. Wait until tomorrow Ami. I don't think your body can handle another dose of heradus blood right now, in the same day. Besides didn't Maniel talk about doing this over _days_?"

_No, his words, and I paraphrase, were to infuse my blood with hers, and then over days it will...well he was lost after that. He did not get a chance to finish. I think you are wrong, and the transformation will continue on, at whatever pace it is destined to do so._

_**Accelerate...eating habits... **_The fragmented thoughts were brief, and distant, but Goliathus realized quickly it was his father's voice. Had he found the energy to return for a time? He attempted to enter his mental plane, but the images were wavering.

_What are you trying to tell me?_

_**Ami...act...like you...eat...will accelerate...**_

Maniel sounded as if he were talking over a bad connection on a CB radio. Only bits and pieces of what he was saying were being heard. However Goliathus had understood the message.

If Ami wanted to turn into a heradus faster, then she was going to have to make a sudden and drastic diet change.

Goliathus relayed the information to Dinarius, who raised an eyebrow and then chuckled. "Oooo...Heradus 101? This should be interesting. Ami dear, are you ready to turn carnivore?"

"Huh?" She blinked at both of them helplessly.

/

Navius sat on the edge of the rocky hill with her knees drawn to her chest, close to the mouth of their little secret cave. Her nose told her that both of her parents had been in there, and in the air was a strange metallic tang of blood that was not familiar. It must be the infusion that Dinarius had mentioned...something that would make her mother more like them. But why? This was the lingering thought in the young girl's mind that would not go away. Why would her mother want to be more like them...and have the world think her a monster?

Oh Navi knew...she always did...that their mother was shielding her family from the "outside" world. She knew that since the day she could understand words and perceive the world around her, that momma was very different from other humans. Navi sighed, sniffling and trying to hold back the tears. To be honest with herself she didn't know why she was feeling so sad over the whole thing. Then she thought back, to all the odd events and situations with her father. He always seemed on the verge of...something. Navi had watched her father eat numerous times, with a ferocity that outmatched any other heradus she'd seen, even her little brother. In fact, at numerous times, he insisted on taking his food elsewhere and going out of sight. The wild frenzy in his eyes was sometimes beyond hunger...it was something else far more disturbing and she shivered at the thought of it.

_That demon will go right back to your father..._

Marcus' words still rang with eerie clarity in her head. The vampire had said her father had been possessed by that demon...just like Dinarius. But for some reason...it seemed for more of a dangerous situation with her father then it did with her uncle. Something was bothering Navius about it, but she couldn't quite place a finger on it.

At times it almost seemed...she shivered...it almost seemed like her father, once in a blue moon when perhaps he wasn't even aware...was looking at Ami in the same way he did with his food when he was hungry enough. But the creepy look in his eyes would quickly vanish in the next moment, and often she wondered if she had imagined it.

_What did you do, daddy? It was something awful, wasn't it? Uncle Dinarius killed ten humans...but what about you?_

The crows near her suddenly cawed loudly, as if protesting at her thought.

_Navi! Navi! Go inside! Go! Not safe!_

Sighing heavily again, she sprung from a crouched position and gently glided back to the ground, where she walked back inside without looking back at the cave.

/

"All right, that should do it..." Dinarius checked the freezer, but there was little more left, except for some kidneys that always seemed to be the least favorite item. He already had warmed up the rest. "Are you gonna go and eat us all out of house n' home, now?" Jezelle sighed, sitting at the table and running a hand through her wiry hair as she watched Dinarius piling what looked like a ridiculous amount of meat in front of Ami. "That poor chile. She looks more sick than hungry."

Ami cleared her throat, blinking newly formed cat-like eyes at them all.

"This is uhm...raw. I mean, not even medium rare or something...just raw."

"We're not particularly fond of cooking our meat, if you hadn't noticed." Dinarius quirked a brow at her. "Dig in, try it, see what happens." He shrugged. "You wanted to listen to Maniel...soooo...listen to him."

Goliathus stood at the far end of the table and staring at the offal, looking both concerned for her and also quite eager to snatch up any possible leftovers. Ami found herself looking at him as if half-expecting his over eager encouragement (since he always insisted that the heart was perhaps the most exquisite flavor in the world), but her mind remained silent. Sighing, she picked up a piece of...something...she wasn't exactly sure _what _exactly, and attempted to cut it into smaller pieces with a big kitchen knife. Dinarius snickered, but Jezelle quirked a brow at him and he quickly went quiet.

Ami speared a small piece and brought it to her lips. Thankfully, the meat was quite warm, and it did kinda smell rather good. She chewed slowly, and it in that moment she was pretty certain a pin could drop and she would hear it.

There was a funny sensation in her gut, and suddenly, her hunger grew. It was not a bad feeling per say, but one that felt quite difficult to ignore. So she took another bite, and something changed...the meat tasted different...it tasted _better._

"Well you're not gagging or throwing up, so this seems positive..."

_Dinarius, have you recently discovered the art of being an incessant pest? It is starting to irk me. Greatly._

The other heradus chuckled despite the clear annoyance he could feel oozing off of Goliathus. _Chill, oh fearless leader. I guess I'm just trying to lighten the mood._

_The mood here is quite serious...and nothing to joke about. I hardly see the amusement in this that you are gaining from it. _

_Seriously, Goliathus. What is wrong with you? I don't see why you're getting angry with me here._

_A lot is wrong with me, unfortunately. But my main point, dear Dinarius, is that you now remain __**SILENT**__._

Huffing and bristling with irritation, Dinarius made sure to make contact with Goliathus and bump him aside as he quickly stormed out of the kitchen, the metal doors clanging loudly as he shoved his way through them. Jezelle, having picked up in the whole mental conversation, seemed to be worried about the tension between the two, but her attention was quickly focused back on Ami.

The meat was gone. All of it. Ami didn't look sick anymore, in fact, she looked downright healthy, her cheeks glowing pink.

"Wow. And to think I've been ordering my steaks medium well my whole life. What the hell is wrong with me?"

_I tried to tell you. _Goliathus smirked, but he also seemed somewhat miffed that she had in fact eaten _everything_.

Ami noticed, and grinning was about to say something sarcastic in regards to his never-ending appetite when a familiar burning pain returned. "Uh-oh..." She stood, and Jezelle immediatley reacted, grabbing onto her arm and shoulder. "You all right? What's happening?"

"I dunno...it's that pain...but it's in my back now. Can you get me a back scratcher or something? It itches like a bitch, too." The old psychic hesitated for a moment but then she complied, hurrying out of the kitchen and then returning a few minutes later. "Here, found one in the bathroom."

Ami reached over to her back and scratched furiously. "_Damn!_ Worse than a thousand mosquito bites!" Goliathus quickly went over to her, pulling her shirt up again and examining her back.

_Those bumps, they are bleeding now. I recognize this, though. It is a claw of a wing-tip._

"Oh Jeezus...oh lord...this is really happening to you. Are you sure about this?" Jezelle seemed incredibly uncertain in the moment, but Ami nodded through her gritted teeth as she scratched. "I know this seems scary and all, and yeah, I'm a bit scared myself. But at the same time, I know this is what I want. There are so many reasons, Jezelle, and the truth is, I don't think anyone else will ever understand. It's just who I am."

The itching intensified, and Ami was scratching so hard that the wooden handle of the scratcher was starting to splinter and break. Jezelle covered her mouth, shaking her head. "You've got to stop Ami, for gawd's sake the blood is running down your back now! Easy, easy, why don't I just look for some salve and we can maybe-"

Ami screamed suddenly, dropping to the floor. Goliathus hardly had time to react, as sharp spines suddenly erupted through the skin and lengthened into long, bony digits, completely bare as if she were some kind of skeletal dragon. Once it stopped, the pain seemed to leave her, but the skeletal structure of two half-formed wings on her back was a frightening and disturbing sight. Ami stood slowly, flexing her fingers and noticing the increased length of her digits, as well as the very wickedly curved shape her fingernails had taken on, halfway to that of true claws. Her breathing was slow and ragged now, and she clutched her abdomen occasionally from waves of pain.

Both Jezelle and Goliathus stared on, trying to find words. But none came.

Then once again, as if on cue, Maniel managed to come through into his son's mind.

**Now, must be now. Another infusion.**

_But she...father...she has gone through so much already..._

**You...cannot...wait...will fall apart...now...or death...**

Goliathus snorted, feeling the extreme urgency in his father's message even as his energy left as quickly as it arrived. He looked to Jezelle, forcing himself to speak out loud.

"You must find a syringe, Jezelle, and draw more blood from me. Ami will need it now, my father's warning was severe."

Goliathus wanted to bless whatever powers that be that somehow kept the old woman's sanity intact. She only hesitated for a second, then saying nothing, quickly exited once again and headed for the lab. Goliathus went to Ami and supported her as he led her from the kitchen, following.

_Now, in this moment, your strength will be tested Ami. Both of ours. _

She clung to him, panting and struggling to keep her feet moving. She saw in the corner of her eye her children heading for her, but Jezelle expertly diverted in her path and quickly hustled them into their room with a harsh warning to stay put, despite their protests.

Ami looked up at Goliathus, and smiled at him. He noticed her sharp and pointed canines, and her pale blue eyes were more alien than ever.

_**You**__ are my strength, Gollie. Always._

_/_

End of Chapter 32.

_It's gettin' good, huh? :) I sure hope you think so! I took some time on this chapter...and in case you were wondering about what's up with Dinarius, well...the mental battle with the demon has changed his personality somewhat...not as severe as with Goliathus, but...definitely noticeable. :( Please remember to review!  
_


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